“Our Revenues Have…”: The Reality of the Brand Tiger Woods Built After the Nike Split
December 22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA: Tiger Woods watches his tee shot off the 10th hole during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlando USA - ZUMAw109 20241222_fap_w109_049 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
December 22, 2024, Orlando, Florida, USA: Tiger Woods watches his tee shot off the 10th hole during the final round of the PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club. Orlando USA - ZUMAw109 20241222_fap_w109_049 Copyright: xDebbyxWongx
It's been a year since his Nike split, and Tiger Woods has already found success. We're not talking about his time on the course.
Sun Day Red, the golf apparel brand launched by Tiger Woods and TaylorMade in 2024, is on a rapid rise. In an interview with Front Office Sports, David Abeles, CEO of TaylorMade and Sun Day Red, made it clear.
“Our revenues have grown faster than we ever could have expected. They’re truly remarkable. We’ve exceeded all of our revenue projections.”
February 13, 2024, Pacific Palisades, California, USA: LOREN REID, TIGER WOODS private security detail is outfitted in Sun Day Red apparel during a Tuesday practice round of the The Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades USA - ZUMAt158 20240213_zsp_t158_021 Copyright: xBrentonxTsex
February 13, 2024, Pacific Palisades, California, USA: LOREN REID, TIGER WOODS private security detail is outfitted in Sun Day Red apparel during a Tuesday practice round of the The Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, California Pacific Palisades USA - ZUMAt158 20240213_zsp_t158_021 Copyright: xBrentonxTsex
After launching with online-only sales, Sun Day Red expanded into select retail outlets, including private golf clubs and resorts.
Although the brand is still early in its lifecycle compared to Woods’ 27-year partnership with Nike, its early growth has positioned it ahead of initial targets. Having joined hands with TaylorMade, Sun Day Red already had an impressive start, and just a month in, they had their first athlete.
In February 2025, Sun Day Red added its first ambassador, signing Karl Vilips. But they're not stopping there. According to Abeles, more athletes will be sought out.
"We’re absolutely working with more tour players to determine who can fit that criteria and those brand standards. We’ll build a wonderful unified team, much like we have at TaylorMade."
TaylorMade already has names like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. We could see them make the leap. Moreover, following Tommy Fleetwood's exit from Nike, we could see him sign on for Sun Day Red as their next athlete.
But it's not just about signing PGA Tour players. Sun Day Red is actively looking to bring LPGA stars to build their brand.
Tiger Woods' Sun Day Red Plans On Bringing In Female Athletes In Line With Their New Business Move
"I’m very excited about finding a female athlete that could represent our brand and do it the same way that we’ve discussed."
With Sun Day Red launching a women's line in 2026, signing a star player is a key goal. And although Nelly Korda, another TaylorMade athlete, could be a name, she's still signed on with Nike after joining the brand in 2023.
One thing that Abeles confirmed was how they were going to pick their athletes, whether from the PGA or the LPGA.
"So, signing tour players is part of our strategy. But we’re going to be very methodical to make sure we pick tour players that can model our brand, model our values, and bring us to market the way Tiger and Karl have."
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar