Tag Heuer to ponder next Woods’ move
SWISS watchmaker Tag Heuer last night insisted they are yet to decide on whether or not to turn their back on troubled Tiger Woods.
Management consultants Accenture pulled the plug on their sponsorship deal with Woods on Sunday after the world No1 confessed he had been unfaithful to his wife Elin.
The firm insisted the world No1 was “no longer the right representative”.
Reports had suggested that Tag Heuer were set to back Woods after a press spokeswoman said his personal problems were “not our business”.
But the firm say are not yet ready to make a decision on their seven-year association with the American with a meeting planned for later this week.
A Tag Heuer statement read: “We respect the privacy of Tiger Woods and his family. In light of recent news, including that Tiger Woods has decided to take an indefinite leave from golf, over the coming weeks we will assess our options with Tiger Woods and IMG regarding our long-term relationship.”
Woods, 33, hasn’t been seen in public since crashing his car near his Florida home on 27 November, leading to a series of allegations of marital affairs in the world’s media.
Several other firms are also mulling over whether to continue their arrangement with Woods, including Gillette, who have already announced they would phase him out of advertising, and American telephone giant AT&T who are considering their position.
Pepsi are also in talks over their £60m five-year deal, but Woods has received the full support of Nike.
The US sportswear giants have backed Woods since 1996 and chairman Phil Knight said yesterday: “I think he has been really great. When his career is over, you’ll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip, but the media is making a big deal out of it right now.”
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