Tiger Woods signed his first endorsement deal with Nike in 1996, when he turned professional at age 20. Nike’s agreement was announced as part of Woods’s “Hello, World” professional launch and helped make his arrival one of the most commercially significant events in golf.
Woods became a professional in August 1996 after a celebrated amateur career, including three U.S. Junior Amateur titles and three U.S. Amateur championships. His initial Nike deal was reported at about $40 million over five years, while he also signed a separate agreement with Titleist. At the time, those contracts were considered extraordinarily large for golf.
The year is sometimes confused with 1997 because Woods won the Masters in April of that year. That victory, achieved at age 21 with a record 18-under-par score and a 12-stroke margin, dramatically increased his fame, but the Nike relationship began when he entered the professional ranks in 1996.
Woods later signed a much larger Nike extension in 2000, reported at $105 million over five years. His visibility helped Nike Golf expand from a young apparel operation into a major golf brand.