2010-03-05

5 year, GBP 5 million sponsorship on the table

The land and online betting group Paddy Power.com has ambitious sponsorship plans for ace but disgraced international golf champ Tiger Woods - the company has entered negotiations through IMG to sponsor the world's best golfer in a five-year, GBP 5 million deal.

Woods, who is four titles short of equalling Jack Nicklaus's record of 18 majors, has not played since a car crash at his Florida home last November, reports The Guardian newspaper. In December he announced an indefinite break from the game after admitting marital infidelity. Last month he apologised for his behaviour but announced no date for his return to golf.

Paddy Power hopes to use Woods's images annually for its GBP 5 million, adding additional incentives of GBP 1 million for winning a US major and GBP 2 million for winning the Open.

Company spokesmen said: "We're in negotiations with IMG to sponsor Tiger. It's still in the early stage of the negotiations, really. It's going to be, if it all comes off, the biggest kind of sponsorship deal we have ever done by quite a way."