TaylorMade CEO on Tiger Woods' Masters return: 'It’s electric'

Brad Smith
·Host
2 min read
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There is no golfer who has repeatedly captivated the sports world like Tiger Woods.

Following a car crash in 2021 that prompted doctors to evaluate whether to amputate Woods’ fractured leg, the five-time Masters champion returns to competitive golf amid the sport's latest growth phase.

Scores of patrons arrived at Augusta National Golf Club days before the 86th Masters tournament, which begins Thursday, just to watch Woods practice a range of shots prior to officially announcing his intent to play, coupled with the belief he could win again.

"People were 20 [rows] deep along the ropes" Bridgestone Golf President and CEO Dan Murphy told Yahoo Finance while describing the spectator turnout for Tiger Woods' practice rounds.

“It’s electric,” TaylorMade CEO David Abeles told Yahoo Finance. “I’ve been in golf for 25 years and I’ve never seen the energy around our sport or around this event like I do right now with Tiger’s return.”

TaylorMade manufactures the driver, fairway woods, irons and wedges in Tiger’s bag at the Masters, and Bridgestone Golf produces the golf ball Woods uses — offering an unfettered amount of visibility to each of the brands with each televised swing Tiger makes.

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: A detail of the clubs of Tiger Woods of the United States during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 06: A detail of the clubs of Tiger Woods of the United States during a practice round prior to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 06, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon via Getty Images)

Golf grass grows greener

Abeles said that the sport is experiencing a new baseline of participation and sustainable growth, after seeing a boost from new players seeking safe outdoor activities at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growth in the sport has also elicited new entrants into the golf apparel category. In the summer of 2020, Lululemon (LULU) launched new lines targeting golfers, and then in 2021, Under Armour (UAA) expanded its existing partnership with Stephen Curry to launch an additional line of golf clothing and shoes.

“Over the course of the last couple of years, we’ve seen almost 6 million golfers around the world come into our game on a base of 60 [million],” Abeles told Yahoo Finance.

Bradley Smith is an anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @thebradsmith.

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