In the latest Nike commercial, Tiger Woods plays a Dick’s Sporting Goods employee trying to sell a Covert driver to a customer. And just as perhaps the best closer in golfing history, he gets the job done.

How does this new ad stack up against the two other Nike Golf spots that Tiger has appeared in so far in 2013? As you may recall, there was the clever “I’m Sorry” commercial for the Covert (Woods hasn’t used the club in his two victories this season), and of course, the one where Tiger shares the stage with Rory McIlroy.

Rors’ growing pains

Rory McIlroy felt the heavy expectations and pressures as the world’s No. 1 golfer weighing down on his 23-year-old shoulders and he had a meltdown, resulting in a bad decision in the heat of the moment. He likely thought the world was closing in on him and he just wanted to escape when he walked off the course last Friday at the Honda Classic.

As (I) expected, McIlroy was open and candid, admitting to his mistake and taking responsibility for his abrupt, un-Rory-like withdrawal in his press conference on Wednesday morning at Doral.  (continue reading…)

Nike Golf unveiled a new commercial for its VR_S Covert driver. This time Tiger Woods makes a solo cameo, without his BFF Rory McIlroy. I enjoyed the ad. I found it slightly amusing in that Tiger hasn’t used the driver (in competition…yet), but hey, at least he’s not shown hitting it in the commercial.

…but these cuts are not…

Just a few days after the spectacular unveiling of their joint commercial– not to mention the official announcement of Rory McIlroy’s monumental deal with Nike, reportedly worth $100 million over the next five years — the world’s nos. 1 and 2 golfers missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

This marked the official 2013 debut for both McIlroy and Tiger Woods. And yes, they (supposedly) received around a combined $5 million just to show up. (continue reading…)

More golf porn: the 18th green at Harding Park

Sunday afternoon’s media outing at TPC Harding Park, hosted by Nike Golf, along with former USGA president Sandy Tatum, was a blast. As always, it’s the company that makes all the difference more often than not. I wasn’t sure what to expect and didn’t know who would be there (believe it or not, I haven’t gone to many of these media outings–have only been doing this for how long? Not very long). I was just happy to be there!  (continue reading…)

Joseph Bramlett finished T16 at PGA Tour Q-School last December to earn his card

Joseph Bramlett has signed a multi-year endorsement contract with Nike Golf that includes clubs, ball, footwear, glove, bag, apparel, headwear and accessories. In other words, the 22-year-old Stanford grad will be decked out in Nike from head-to-toe and from driver to putter. Bramlett will make his PGA Tour debut at this week’s Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii.

(continue reading…)

Spotted: Tiger Woods working out and looking tough

Nike Golf’s tweeter caught Tiger Woods getting his swole on at the Nike World Headquarters gym. Perhaps this is a stretch, but does this photograph remind you of a magazine cover from last year? You know, like the February 2010 issue of Vanity Fair that bared a shirtless Tiger with a menacing glare.