HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — AT&T is the latest sponsor to cut ties with Tiger Woods in the wake of his affair scandal.
“We are ending our sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods and wish him well in the future,” the company said Thursday in a statement.
Woods, 33, has hosted the AT&T National PGA Tour event since its inception in 2007. The company said it will continue to sponsor the event, which Woods will not host in 2010 due to his indefinite leave from the PGA Tour.
AT&T hasn’t utilized Woods much around advertising, but the company logo did appear on his golf bag.
The telecommunications giant is the second major company to drop Woods since he admitted to infidelity, joining global consulting and outsourcing firm Accenture. Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer also previously revealed plans to “downscale” its relationship with the golfer.
Woods has been under the microscope ever since a single-car accident outside his home on Nov. 27. The accident came shortly after the National Enquirer published a story alleging that he was having an affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub manager. After the first affair allegation, several more women stepped forward claiming to have engaged in sexual trysts with Woods, including former VH1 Tool Academy contestant Jaimee Grubbs and porn star Holly Sampson.
Woods later admitted to cheating on his wife, Elin Nordegren, while also announcing plans to put his golf career on an indefinite hold in order to focus on his family.
“I am deeply aware of the disappointment and hurt that my infidelity has caused to so many people, most of all my wife and children,” he said in a statement on his official Web site. “I want to say again to everyone that I am profoundly sorry and that I ask forgiveness. It may not be possible to repair the damage I’ve done, but I want to do my best to try.”
