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GM ends car loans for Tiger Woods

Other News Materials 14 January 2010 07:05 (UTC +04:00)
Carmaking giant General Motors (GM) has said an arrangement that allowed troubled golf star Tiger Woods free access to its vehicles is over, BBC reported.
GM ends car loans for Tiger Woods

Carmaking giant General Motors (GM) has said an arrangement that allowed troubled golf star Tiger Woods free access to its vehicles is over, BBC reported.

The world's number one golfer had an endorsement contract with GM's Buick brand, but that ended in 2008.

However, an arrangement remained that allowed him to keep several GM motors on loan. A company spokesman has now said the deal ended at the end of 2009.

Woods has lost a number of endorsements since crashing his car on 27 November.

A GM spokesman said the loan arrangement had previously been scheduled to end on 31 December.

Time off

Woods has been engulfed in a media whirlwind since the incident disturbance outside his Florida home.

He has since admitted being unfaithful to his wife, and is taking a break from professional golf.

On 12 December Gillette became the first major sponsor of Tiger Woods to distance itself from the golf star after the storm over his private life.

It said it would limit Woods's role in its marketing while he took time off to repair his personal life.

Two days later the giant management consultancy firm Accenture ended its sponsorship with Woods, saying the golfer was "no longer the right representative".

Nike support

On 31 December telecoms giant AT&T said it would no longer sponsor Woods, but gave no reason for its decision.

Apart from AT&T, Accenture and razor maker Gillette, the watchmaker Tag Heuer has scaled down its use of the star, while drinks manufacturer Gatorade discontinued a line of Tiger Woods-branded energy drinks.

A recent University of California study suggested the total economic damage of the Tiger Woods affair to all involved parties could amount to as much as $12bn.

But sports equipment giant Nike, which pays Woods a reported $40m a year, has given its support.

Meanwhile, electronic game maker Electronic Arts is is to go ahead with plans to roll out an online game featuring the golfer.

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