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Nov 1st, 2016
The Tiger Of Wall Street: Woods goes corporate
Launching TGR golf clubs a real possibility!!
Words: Tim Southwell Photography: TGR Illustration: Nicholas Bannister
Step aside Leonardo DiCaprio, there's a new beast in business town. 14-time major winner Tiger Woods no less. The Tiger Of Wall Street yesterday unleashed his new company, TGR, combining a portfolio of Tiger-related concerns.
"I pride myself on being efficient," says Tiger. "I also don't sleep much."
Just as well, Tiger, you're not going to get any now.
The new logo. Spikey but pretty cool
Chairman Of The Board is how Tiger describes his role. Sounds good to us. Plenty of doing what you want for most of the month (he may even play some tournament golf? Ed) then turning up at the end and getting everyone to change everything they've done.
Having said that, Tiger insists he will be very involved in day-to-day decision-making.
"There is so much excitement about the potential of TGR," says Woods. "I'm excited to explore the possibilities in design, product development, hospitality, and possibly entertainment."
TGR plan to use many computers as they are keen to embrace the very latest in technology... 'None of that Microsoft rubbish' is one of the company's mottos
We'd be more than happy to have a chat about GolfPunk in all this matey. You just give us lots of cash, we spend it on whatever we fancy and you don't ask any difficult questions. Deal?
THE BIG QUESTION...
Will TGR start making golf equipment now that Nike has opted out of golf hardware? While there are apparently no specific plans for TGR to enter the equipment business, Jeff Kempler, COO of Sub Rosa, the corporate strategy and branding firm that Woods hired to help develop his new brand, says it's a possibility at some point.
There you have it. Expect TGR to launch a set of Tiger-inspired golf clubs sooner rather than later. He could hoover up all the brilliant Nike engineers and golf scientists right now as they will surely be looking for work at some point, no matter how big their pay offs. And Tiger, reportedly, took the news about Nike quitting golf very badly so he may have a golf axe to grind.
Tiger insists on being smartly dressed when swinging big deals and conducting high octane board meetings, as it helps make him look as if he "means business"...
This all started to formulate shortly after Tiger's 40th birthday when he and key executives from his existing businesses started strategizing ways to create a brand that would take advantage of his position as one of the world's most recognisable athletes, but would not necessarily be directly tied to golf.
They brought in Sub Rosa to help define what TGR would stand for and how it could scale across a wide range of industries. "If chapter one began when he was first on national television playing golf, now it's Tiger, the enterprise or Tiger, the portfolio activator," says Kempler. "He has a really clear mind-set about what his personal brand means."
What Tiger is known for and what the TGR brand will embody:
1) Precision
2) The ability to master a wide array of skills
3) Determination.
"It goes all the way back to how I was raised," says Woods in an exclusive email interview with Fast Company magazine. "In the military, they have a saying, 'Train hard, fight easy.' You’re going to master your craft if you approach the mind-set and method properly."
Tiger and his key executives from existing businesses started strategising ways to create a brand that would take advantage of his position as one of the world's most recognisable athletes, but would not necessarily be directly tied to golf.
Sub Rosa have ben pivotal in figuring out what TGR should stand for and how it could scale across a wide range of industries. Kempler told Fast Company: "If chapter one began when he was first on national television playing golf, now it's Tiger, the enterprise or Tiger, the portfolio activator," says Kempler. "He has a really clear mind-set about what his personal brand means."
This is the first time Tiger has brought all of his businesses under one golf umbrella of the TGR brand. Tiger feels that this move will help define his legacy and keep him in the game long after he's beaten Jack's 18-majors record (You seriously won't let that go will you?! –Ed) .
Can't wait to see what happens in Tiger Land next.
TGR will now oversee the following concerns:
TGR Live, his events company that organizes PGA TOUR tournaments;
The Woods restaurant which opened in Florida last year, and which will keep the same name rather than bve rebranded TGR.
TGR Design, a golf-course firm he launched a decade ago
The Tiger Woods Foundation , which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month.
New endeavors are set to be announced over the next few months.
