We've Never Seen A Video Quite Like This One From Tiger Woods, Who's Very Much Embracing A New Chapter

He looked like he wanted to bite the cameraman's head off, but make no mistake: Tiger Woods blessed the video. I've been covering this man's every move for seven years now and I can't ever recall seeing a video like this one go up on his social channels. 

It's the kind semi-intrusive, everything-is-content clip that Woods for so many years shied away from. He is a fiercely private person by nature. But Monday's launch of Sun Day Red, his new apparel and shoe line in partnership with TaylorMade, began a brand new chapter for Tiger Woods. Tuesday morning at Riviera marked the first time since turning professional that he turned up to a golf course not decked out in the Nike swoosh. It's Sun Day Red time, and Tiger Woods is now officially in the promoting business. 

It's a commercial necessity given what he's trying to do: create the Jordan Brand of golf. And therein lies the biggest difference between Woods' 27-year Nike partnership and this new Sun Day Red era. Now, it's not a partnership. It's not one of the countless brand deals he's signed. It's his brand. 

Kevork Djansezian. Getty Images.

That's a crucial distinction. For more than two decades Nike paid Woods a certain amount per year. A very large amount, of course, but still—it was more or less a set number. As such, he wasn't incentivized to push their products beyond what's required contractually. There just wasn't much benefit to letting people in more than he had to. But now, Woods has a vested interest in dipping his toes into the content game. He's promoting a brand that he's deeply invested in. And Woods does not do anything half-way. He wouldn't have launched this if he didn't feel passionately about building a brand and a revenue stream that can last far beyond whenever he plays his final PGA Tour event. 

Tiger leaning into this chapter, when he could so easily ride off into the sunset with his gazillion dollars, is a boon for the sport. Despite playing less golf than ever, he's remained a dominant figure in the sport. He's helped spearhead the private equity chapter of the PGA Tour. He's turned the proud Los Angeles Open into his own signature event that's now equal in stature with the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament. And now he's cool with posting outfit-of-the-day videos that show him leaving his hotel for the golf course first thing in the morning. 

It's new ground for the 48-year-old, and it's going to be fascinating to see how it all plays out. One thing's for certain: we're going to see a lot more of this distinctly 21st-century marketing from Woods than we ever have. That's what it takes to build a brand from the ground up. Even for Tiger Woods.