Tiger Woods trudging through Augusta in hopes of entering the Masters is a largely familiar sight save for his shoes.
Woods, who has been a Nike pitchman since 1996, was spotted wearing FootJoy shoes during his practice round in Augusta on Sunday, causing some surprise and confusion on social media.
Nike issued a statement on the matter.
“Like golf fans around the world, we are excited to see Tiger back on the course. He’s an incredible athlete and it’s phenomenal to see him return to the sport at this level,” the company told ESPN’s Michael Collins.
“His story goes beyond sport and inspires us all. During his return we will work with him to meet his new needs.”
Tiger Woods needs all the foot support he can get as he continues to recover from a debilitating car accident. Getty Images
It has been 14 months since Woods was involved in a serious car accident in California. There were fears he could lose a leg due to injuries sustained in the wreck.
As late as February he was still doubting his availability for The Masters.
“I’m still working on the running part,” he said. “My foot broke a little bit there about a year ago so I’m still working on running, working on strength and development. It takes time. What’s frustrating is that it doesn’t fit my schedule. I want to be in a certain place, but I’m not.”
It is therefore not surprising that he needs the shoes that support him best and at the moment FootJoy seems to be ahead of Nike in this regard.
Woods said he was a “seasonal decision” whether to serve in Augusta on Thursday, though he planned a second straight day of practice on Monday. The five-time Masters champion is set to meet with the media on Tuesday.