Nike addresses Tiger Woods while wearing FootJoy in Augusta

Tiger Woods wandering around Augusta in hopes of competing in The Masters is a mostly familiar sight, except for his boots.

Woods, who has been a Nike player since 1996, was seen wearing FootJoy shoes during his Augusta training tour on Sunday, causing some surprise and confusion across social media.

Nike issued a statement addressing the matter.

“Like golf enthusiasts around the world, we are thrilled to see Tiger back on the course. He is a fantastic athlete, and it is great to see him return to the game at such a level,” the company Tell ESPN’s Michael Collins.

“His story continues to transcend the sport and inspire us all. As he continues to come back, we will work with him to meet his new needs.”

It’s been 14 months since Woods was Involvement in a single exhausting car accident in California. There were fears that he might lose one of his legs due to injuries sustained in the wreckage.

Recently in February, it was casts doubt on his willingness to master.

“I’m still working on the walking part,” he said. “My feet were a little off there about a year ago so the walking part is something I’m still working on, working on strength and development in that. It takes time. The frustrating thing is that it’s not on my schedule. I want to be in a certain place, but I’m not.” .”

So it’s no surprise that he’ll need the shoes that give him the most support, and now FootJoy appears to be way ahead of Nike in this regard.

Woods said it was a “matchtime decision” on whether to start Thursday in Augusta, although he was planning a second straight day of training on Monday. The five-time Masters champion will meet the media on Tuesday.