Tiger Moving On…Without His Own Name?

No golfer dominates the headlines like Tiger Woods. It doesn’t matter if he plays or not, Tiger is the Big Dog and will be for some time.

This week is no different even though Woods is still on his self imposed hiatus.

Michael Bamberger of Sports Illustrated/Golf.com starts his story with a provocative title: Tiger Woods Has Been Working on His Game and on the Next Phase of His Career: Entrepreneur. 

At first glance it may seem that Woods may be focusing on things off the course instead of “getting reps” in to win majors. “The Tiger Woods you know and love might not be at Doral this week, but do not fear: He has other things to keep him busy, like his new restaurant, his first major and public entrepreneurial investment. Unlike his role in the energy-drink start-up Fuse Science, where he had a stake in a company that crashed, this is a business he can control.”

Most great athletes understandably do what they can to maximize their income away from their sport. After all, no one stays at the top of their game forever.

We’ve watched Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Gary Player and many others build multi faceted enterprises to earn income long after their playing days are over.

Woods is no different. But this restaurant is a new avenue for Woods and comes at a very significant phase in Tiger’s life.

His golf game is at a career low and according to Woods he has other responsibilities in his life. Responsibilities that have worked their way to the forefront of Tiger’s life where previously it was golf, golf and anything related to performing better at golf.

His relationship with Lindsey Vonn has evolved into one of his top priorities and he now chooses to put his kids well ahead of his golf game. Earlier in his career he mainly focused on golf and his wife had the main responsibility for their children.

Since he has become a single father he needed to redefine his life strategy and he is now more involved in the children’s lives.

“There comes a point for most iconic golfers when they become as interested, if not more interested, in their off-course business ventures as they are in their on-course business ventures. It was true for Palmer, for Norman, for Jack Nicklaus. Woods has said often that his children are now the highest priority in his life.
The restaurant represents an investment where he can leave a deeply personal mark, as he can with the golf courses he is developing. Raising children, of course, is the ultimate example of that. After withdrawing from the Tour stop in San Diego last month, Woods went to see Vonn, his girlfriend. At 39, his priorities are naturally shifting.” 

A few takeaways from Bamberger’s piece. Yes I’ll agree that Tiger is in a different phase of his life both personally and professionally. But I don’t think he’s done with golf just yet.

To think that Tiger is just naturally evolving into a normal life for a fortysomething with two kids is a bit unbelievable to me. He does not live a normal life…on any level.

Did Tiger literally sell his name to Nike? According to Bamberger he can’t use his entire name because Nike owns it.

“The developer was asked about the cumbersome name, The Woods Jupiter: Sports and Dining Club. He referred to it as Woods Jupiter and expects that’s what most people will call it. Mastroianni said he was told that Nike “has the rights to the name Tiger Woods,” which prevented Woods using his first and last name in the restaurant name. (Nike and Greenspan, Woods’s spokesman, did not immediately respond to inquiries about the rights to use Woods’s name in commercial ventures.) 

How could he have ever signed that deal?

And finally I think Bamberger catches the nail right on the head. We’ve heard stories over the years of how “frugal” Tiger is. And he was always peeved when others made a buck off his celebrity. Well, having your own bar and restaurant may put an end to that in his eyes.

“Part of the reason Woods wanted to build a restaurant and bar, people who know Woods have said, is because when he goes to the Blue Martini in Palm Beach Gardens, word spreads quickly by cellphone, the place gets packed and Woods feels like he is creating business for other owners. Mastroianni, who did not comment on that theory, said, “Tiger’s place will be way better, way more upscale, than the Blue Martini.” 

That’s the Woods we all have come to know: if there is money to be made it will be by Tiger. And not any hangers on.