Tiger Woods might have broken up with Nike and started his own brand, Sun Day Red. But that doesn’t mean that the athleisure giant has stopped itself from growing and staying in the golf world. Although dropping Woods from Nike’s golf roster was certainly a big loss, they still have other popular stars from the golf world to promote the brand. And Nike will surely have their back when they need the support.
Thus, as Michelle Wie West undergoes postpartum, the Swoosh has made a thoughtful gesture for the former LPGA Tour pro. Even before the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of West’s second 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, Jagger Jerry YooJun, Nike sent a pre-pregnancy package to West with clothes for the new𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 and some shoes. Now, they sent another package, but the note with it was more important and kind that West shared it on her Instagram story.
Nike wished the 5-time LPGA Tour winner on the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 and officially welcomed him into the Nike family. They said, “We’re beyond excited to welcome Jack-Jack to the family! We want to wish you, Makenna, and Jonnie all the best in this next chapter of your lives.” Touched by the note, West captioned it to say, it was the “sweetest” note to cheer her spirit during postpartum.
Nike has always been the brand that stood by its athletes despite the situation. And it is not the first time that the clothing brand got West’s back. They were there for her when she needed their support the most and the uncertainty clouds were all over her.
How Nike never left Michelle Wie West’s side
In 2022, Michelle Wie West decided to hang her clubs, as it was time for her to move away from golf. The next year, she played the 2023 US Women’s Open for the last time. But the retirement was not an effortless task for the golf phenom. Since the age of 12, West’s on-course life had been documented, and it had piled much criticism for her. Even her low scores were the talk of the town.
Amid that the 35-year-old endured many injuries, West decided to retire and let her body rest despite wanting to continue the professional journey. It became a striking reality when she couldn’t pick up Makenna and that thought scared her. As West was bidding farewell to the game, it would have made sense that she would lose sponsors like Nike, who she usually endorsed by wearing their athleisure on the course. But that was not the case.
Instead, after her retirement announcement in 2022, Nike doubled down and signed West for another five years. They added her to the Nike Women Think Tank, where the 5-time LPGA Tour winner advocated for women’s sports, postpartum, and other things. Similarly, they kept with Tiger Woods when his divorce was made public and accusations started flying around. However, Nike showed up and didn’t cut their contract as several other brands did. Surely, Nike rarely leaves their athletes, even when they no longer opt to be one.
