Tiger Woods picks up Monster Energy as new sponsor

ByDARREN ROVELL
December 1, 2016, 5:21 PM

— -- Tiger Woods will return to competitive golf after a 15-month hiatus with a new sponsor.

Sources told ESPN that Woods will debut a Monster Energy logo on his bag at the Hero World Challenge, his foundation's 18-player tournament in the Bahamas this week.

His agent, Mark Steinberg, confirmed a new sponsor would debut, but did not confirm that it would be Monster. Monster officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

It will be the seventh logo Woods has had on a bag in his professional career. He previously has had Titleist, Buick, AT&T, Nike, Fuse Science and MusclePharm.?

MusclePharm paid him in May to terminate its deal -- which was set to run through June 2018 -- to further trim company expenses. For two years, MusclePharm disclosed in SEC filings that it paid Woods $7 million. The company agreed to pay him an additional $2.5 million to end the deal.

As a result of Nike exiting the equipment business at the end of the year, Woods is actively testing new equipment, but no deal is imminent.

His current sponsors include Nike, Hero, Kowa, Upper Deck, Rolex and now Monster.

Coca-Cola owns 16.7 percent of Monster, which is second in market share in the energy drink space behind Red Bull. Woods previously had a deal with Gatorade, which is owned by Coke competitor PepsiCo.

Woods, who turns 41 at the end of December, last played a competitive round of golf in August 2015, when he tied for 10th at the Wyndham Championship.