McIlroy signs new $250m mega Nike deal that leaves Tiger in the shade

Rory McIlroy has signed a deal with Nike that could earn him $250million (£156m) and make him the second-highest paid British sportsman behind David Beckham.



And he has already earned the first slice by filming a commercial with the man who helped broker the deal - Tiger Woods.

From January, the 23-year-old McIlroy will replace Woods as the future of Nike's no-money-spared marketing machine.



Fist full of dollars: Rory McIlroy finds his signature is worth a fortune

His 10-year contract, which starts at $200m before bonus clauses, rivals Beckham, who is a leading figure for Nike's rivals adidas and makes roughly $46m annually.



Nike needed a fresh, wholesome sportsman to improve their image after the downfall of cyclist Lance Armstrong - unmasked as a drug cheat last month - which inflicted further damage on the American company fol lowing Woods being revealed as a serial philanderer.

When McIlroy took his second Major title in August, the USPGA Championship, which was won on American soil like his first, the 2011 US Open, the man from County Down, Northern Ireland, had announced himself as a global superstar, having already risen to world No1.

Doubtless, Nike conducted a forensic search of his personal life and found nothing to fear. McIlroy's romance with Caroline Wozniacki, a former world No1 on the women's tennis circuit, only adds to his appeal.



Last week he flew from a lucrative exhibition event in China with Woods - both men reportedly shared £1.6m in appearance fees - to join Wozniacki in Bulgaria rather than play in the World Golf Championships, in another Chinese city.

News from American sources yesterday claimed McIlroy, in the company of Woods, has shot his first TV advertisement for Nike to broadcast in the new year after the Ulsterman's current deal with Titleist and Footjoy has expired.



Co-star: Tiger Woods will appear with McIlroy in Nike's commercials

McIlroy and Woods, who have grown close over the past year, not least as they jointly understand their escalating value at the box office if they duel with one another on the golf course, are seen in the film to be sharing a light conversation while hitting the company's new red driver.

The commercial also features two other big-hitters who have switched to Nike, Nick Watney and Kyle Stanley.

It is understood that Woods once received an annual salary of £35m from Nike, but he had to take a sizeable pay cut after his affairs were reported in unflattering headlines around the world.



Other sponsors terminated their contracts with Woods.



Even though Nike remained loyal to Armstrong when others were distancing themselves from the Texan, the Oregon-based company reacted to the confirmation that his record seven Tour de France victories had been expunged from history by severing their ties with him.

In McIlroy, they clearly trust. This year McIlroy won more than $8m in prize money in the United States alone using the Titleist clubs he has played with in his five years as a professional.



And Sir Nick Faldo, the most successful British golfer of all time, fears McIlroy may have taken an unnecessary risk.

'I call it dangerous,' said Faldo, as speculation grew that McIlroy was about to switch allegiance.

'I've changed clubs and every manufacturer will say: "We can copy your clubs, we can tweak the golf ball so that it fits you". But there's a feel and sound and there's confidence [in your equipment]. You can't put a real value on that, it's priceless.'



Yet last night an informed source with decades of experience of the professional game offered a counterargument, when he said: 'I don't think there's much of a risk. The information on launch angles and spin rates is so good that Rory will have clubs and a ball to match the numbers he had. It may take a few events to get used to the new equipment, but there is no risk with Rory's talent.'



And it is that talent - and his squeaky-clean image - that prompted Nike to invest their future in McIlroy, allowing them to reclaim the high ground in a competitive market place.



