Tiger Woods to tease new apparel chapter in press conference ahead of 2024 Genesis Invitational
The breakup between Tiger Woods and Nike was one of the big news at the beginning of the year in the golf world. However, everything seems to indicate that the 15-time Major champion is ready to take the next step in terms of his clothing sponsorship.
Tiger Woods will announce on February 12 the new clothing brand he would be using in the future. The announcement will take place at the press conference that Woods will give before the start of The Genesis Invitational, the event he hosts in California.
According to The Business of Fashion, the press conference announcement does not reveal any specific details. It only gives the venue (Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles) and contains the following text:
"Come be a part of the next chapter."
However, The Business of Fashion also revealed that TaylorMade filed an application for a new brand called 'Sunday Red'. The application was made to the United State Patent and Trademark Office and the filing date was December 13, 2023.
There is no doubt that the name 'Sunday Red' directly evokes Tiger Woods, as it is the day of the week and the color that has featured the greatest triumphs of his illustrious career.
Tiger Woods and Nike made public the end of their sponsorship on January 8. Nike signed Woods almost immediately after he turned pro in 1996, and kept him in its sponsorship catalog for 27 years.
Why did Tiger Woods choose The Genesis Invitational to make his announcement?
Many factors could have influenced Tiger Woods to choose The Genesis Invitational to speak on such an important topic. Woods' relationship with the event is well known.
Woods' first event on the PGA Tour, playing as an amateur, was precisely the event now known as the Genesis Invitational. It took place in 1992 and the name of the event at the time was the Nissan Los Angeles Open.
Since then, Woods has remained closely linked to the event, so much so that since 2018 the Foundation that bears his name is its organizer. Interestingly, Woods has never managed to win there, although he has twice finished second.
In all likelihood, it is also influenced by the fact that The Genesis Invitational is, precisely the next event on Woods' schedule. After teeing off at the PNC Championship, the player explained that his return to competitive golf would include no more than a monthly tournament (via Daily Mail).
Woods rested the entire month of January and would be at The Riviera Country Club starting February 15. If he maintains his projection of a monthly tournament, it is presumable that he would play THE PLAYERS Championship in March and The Masters in April.
Woods could also be playing the PGA Championship in May and the US Open in June. In July, he could be playing The Open Championship.
Tiger Woods' participation in all of these tournaments is subject to his exempt status on a case-by-case basis. He is not currently qualified for all of them.