PGA Tour star Tony Finau drops clue on Nike's future in golf

Tony Finau has shed light on his future with Nike amidst rumours the powerhouse American brand could be moving away from golf entirely. 

PGA Tour star Tony Finau drops clue on Nike's future in golf
PGA Tour star Tony Finau drops clue on Nike's future in golf

With Nike's presence in the game of golf rumoured to be in decline, Tony Finau has come forward with some encouraging comments regarding the American brands' future within the sport. 

Finau, 34, first signed with Nike in 2016, joining the likes of Brooks Koepka, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood to don the iconic swoosh on his chest. 

Since then, the American has won six times on the PGA Tour and created his own signature shoe with the brand to commemorate when he nearly broke his ankle at The Masters par-3 tournament. 

With both Woods and Jason Day formally ending their relationship with Nike earlier this year, many speculated that the brand's days within golf could be numbered.

However, when speaking to the media ahead of his defence of the Mexico Open, Finau seemed optimistic about his future with the brand.

He said:

"I've been a very proud Nike athlete since I signed with Nike. They do a great job with apparel and footwear. Obviously you see me rocking the AJ1s, which is a shoe I love and I've been wearing for a couple years.
"I have my own foundation logo where we do some branding with Nike, which is cool. I wear some off-course TF gear which Nike has allowed me to do. I think that's more than enough for me at this point in my career. Nike has been a great brand for me and a sponsorship that hopefully lasts many years."

Since leaving Nike earlier this year, Woods has set up his very own signature clothing brand in collaboration with TaylorMade called Sun Day Red

Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods

Wood's debuted the apparel line at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club last week before having to withdraw in the second round due to the flu.

Long-time Nike golfer Day also ended his relationship with Nike earlier this year and signed with the golf lifestyle brand Malbon

He was recently joined by another former Nike athlete, Australian Ryan Ruffels, who penned a deal with Malbon only a few days ago.

Despite losing three high-profile athletes in the space of a few months, it's not all bad news for Nike, though, with the brand having recently recruited DP World Tour player Guido Migliozzi to join its stable of professional golfers. 

While losing the likes of Woods and Day was far from ideal for Nike, they still have arguably the strongest Tour lineup of any brand, which includes McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Koepka, Fleetwood and Nelly Korda. 

Following his comments regarding Nike, Finau, a self-confessed sneakerhead, was also quizzed about his favourite Air Jordan One golf shoes and teased he might be wearing something a bit special this week. 

He added:

"Yeah, I got some special ones as defending champion this week, so you guys have to stay tuned for that."

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