Next Sponsor for Tiger Woods: Unknown

Even if Tiger Woods's endorsement deal with General Motor is over as it was officially announced last week, the situation looks like a “we broke up but we're still thinking of each other” relationship. Or at least this is what the golf star's agent, Mark Steinberg, suggests according to Advertising Age, an affiliate publication of Automotive News: "We had a very good relationship with GM and it would be disrespectful to rush out and try to sign another automobile sponsor. When we say it was an amicable end, it truly was amicable."

Therefore, in the memory of good times spent together, it's “highly unlikely” for Tiger Woods to have another car company as sponsor. The reason for separation is still highly debatable and although, according to the Automotive News data center, sales of Buick vehicles have dropped heavily this year, Mark LaNeve, GM's North American vice president of sales, service and marketing claims the end of their partnership with Tiger Woods has nothing to do with the famous economic crisis.

Yet, David Carter, principal of the Los Angeles-based Sports Business Group and a sports marketing professor at the University of Southern California, said current market situation for the car companies certainly had an impact on the decision. "This is probably some combination of prior planning and the need now to not just appear as though you're belt-tightening, but to send a concrete message on how and where you're cutting back" Carter declared.

More important is how other companies will use sports stars going forward. However, Woods doesn't need to worry about getting an auto industry sponsor. Marc Ganis, president of the Chicago-based sports consultant SportsCorp is over-confident in golf star's abilities to attract any sponsor on the planet: "If Tiger wants another auto industry sponsor, he'll get one. If Tiger wants any sponsor, he'll get one."

Equally, maybe it will prove unnecessary to replace GM by the end Woods return to the Tour in three months as Steinberg claims. The possibility of having one of sportsman's existing sponsors such as Nike, Accenture or Tag Heuer on his golf bag was not excluded by the golf star's agent though "It wouldn't be fair to discuss specifics right now." Does he wants us to play dice?!

Still, no need to hurry as Woods gained $122.7 million last year, most of it coming from nearly $100 million in sponsorship deals, according to Golf Digest. The man affords the luxury “to heal his wounds” after the beautiful long-term relationship with GM...