Tiger Woods’ withdrawal at Torrey Pines delivers yet another blow to what has been one of the biggest athlete brand in sports. Woods appears determined to work out the kinks (or are they yips?) on the course, working through debilitating lower back pain in the process. But here’s a suggestion for the brand-conscious former star:
Step away from the PGA Tour spotlight for a while or risk long-term brand damage.
The impact of Tiger’s poor performances is already being felt on his brand. Last year was his worst on Tour, and was also one of his lowest earning. Despite adding to his endorsement portfolio, Tiger earned $55 million in 2014, his lowest earnings since 2000. The total remains staggering and will never completely dry up (Palmer and Nicklaus made $40 million and $22 million last year, respectively), but how can corporations continue to activate globally around Tiger if all the public sees are grimaces and shanked shots instead of fist pumps?
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