In what had to be
a first in pro golf, Tiger Woods and a Buick executive stood on a dais
in a hotel ballroom and removed a silver cloth that had been covering a
leather golf bag, much like civic leaders unveiling a monument.
The corporate types
in suits applauded. "I hope you can fit all your clubs in there," the executive
said.
"Don't worry," Woods
shot back. "Stevie will be carrying it."
While caddie Steve
Williams will be handling the black, white and red bag with Buick's logo
splashed all over it, Woods will be getting richer, pocketing the reported
$20 million to $25 million he'll get in the sponsorship deal that was announced
today.
Woods's commitments
under the deal will begin at neighboring Torrey Pines in February, where
he'll defend his Buick Invitational title.
Next to the hat,
a player's bag is the most visible and attractive to corporate sponsors.
Woods has carried a Titleist bag since turning pro, but bidding was under
way when Titleist signed a new deal with the 23-year-old star in which
it gave up the rights to use him in advertisements.
Woods even got the
keys to a new supercharged car, and another Buick executive promised that
somewhere down the road, so to speak, Woods will get to suggest some design
touches to what will be called the "Tiger Special Edition."
"It's not a bad concept
-- every time I come to Torrey Pines I get a new car," cracked Woods, 23,
who's coming off one of the best seasons by a PGA Tour golfer in the past
40 years.
"Obviously this is
a great deal, and more importantly, a great relationship that we're going
to build on from here. I'm very excited about this. I can't wait. I've
always been a very creative person."
Whatever input Woods
comes up with, "My neighbors probably won't like it. It'll be pretty loud."
By having Woods as
a pitchman, Buick clearly hopes to draw younger customers. Woods even alluded
to it, mentioning how Buicks have been "something more for parents" than
young people.
"I'm hoping to broaden
that scope ... and that is make Buick more of a youthful brand. That is
our goal and it's a market we can capitalize on, that we haven't' touched
yet."
Just then, his parents
walked in and took seats in the front row.
"It's about time
you got here," Woods jokingly chided them.
Woods wouldn't divulge
specifics of the deal, other to say he'll play "a couple of (Buick) tournaments"
a year. As for the money he'll make, "I'm going to keep that private. I'm
not going to ask you how much you make," he said in response to a question
at a news conference.
Like Woods, Buick
officials wouldn't discuss details, other than it's a five-year deal.
"He really prefers
we don't say anything, so I've got to defer to his wishes," Buick general
manager Roger Adams said.
Adams said the number
of Buick tournaments Woods plays in will vary from year to year.
"It's more in the
spirit of best efforts," Adams said. "We're trying to build this relationships.
We think he will appear when we ask him to."
Buick became the
first corporate sponsor of the PGA Tour, in 1958. It sponsors four tournaments
per year: the Buick Invitational, Buick Classic, Buick Open, and Buick
Challenge. Woods won the 1999 Buick Invitational last February at Torrey
Pines.
Woods closed out
the year with four straight PGA Tour victories and won five in his last
six tour events, including the PGA Championship. He won eight PGA Tour
events and 10 tournaments overall, setting a single-season earnings record
at $6,616,585. He became the first player with eight PGA Tour wins in one
year since Johnny Miller in 1974.
