Golf icon Tiger Woods and golf equipment manufacturer TaylorMade officially revealed their partnership on Monday, February 12, announcing the creation of a new apparel and footwear performance and lifestyle brand named "Sun Day Red." This announcement took place during a press event in Pacific Palisades, California.
Sun Day Red is an entirely new company, which will operate independently with its separate headquarters and a workforce exclusively dedicated to its development, according to TaylorMade CEO David Abeles.
The brand features a tiger logo adorned with 15 stripes, symbolizing each of the 48-year-old's major victories. The products will also not feature any TaylorMade branding.
"There is no influence from TaylorMade on this brand. His brand stands alone and is independent from TaylorMade," Abeles added.
Why is Tiger Woods' brand named Sun Day Red?
The brand's name pays homage to a tradition in Woods' career, where he consistently wore a red polo during Sunday golf events.
This practice originated from a suggestion by his mother, Kultida, who believed that red was his "power color."
Woods adopted this tradition from his amateur golf days, steadfastly wearing red during competitive rounds on Sundays.
Tiger Woods' split with Nike
In the previous month, Woods announced the amicable conclusion of his 27-year partnership with the American sportswear giant Nike. The brand had previously ceased manufacturing golf equipment in 2016.
Woods had been associated with the iconic Swoosh brand for more than half of his life, securing numerous multimillion-dollar contracts with Nike over the years.
His initial deal, signed at the age of 20 in 1996, was valued at $40 million from 1996 to 2001, amounting to approximately $8 million annually. Subsequently, he extended his contract in 2001, agreeing to a five-year deal worth $100 million, equating to $20 million annually until 2006.
In 2006, Woods entered into a new agreement with Nike, valued at $160 million from 2006 to 2013, translating to an annual sum of approximately $22.8 million.
His final contract with the brand, signed in 2013, was a ten-year deal worth $200 million, with an annual payout of $20 million. This latest contract, spanning a decade, recently reached its conclusion.
Adding up the value of all of his Nike contracts, Woods has made around $500 million from the Swoosh brand alone.
What is TaylorMade?
TaylorMade Golf Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer specializing in the golf equipment market. The company is renowned for producing golf clubs, balls, and clothing.
Woods has already been using TaylorMade equipment since 2017 after the discontinuation of Nike's golf division.
Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Dustin Johnson are among the notable players of TaylorMade who use the company's golf equipment.
Most contracted players typically have all or most of their playing equipment provided by the company. However, there are exceptions, such as Rickie Fowler, whose deal with the company only covers golf balls, leaving the rest of his equipment choices more flexible.
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