Tiger Woods and Nike Inspire Young Athletes in China

Tiger Woods and Yao Ming Team Up in China

Globally recognized athlete Tiger Woods visits Shanghai

(RELEASE) - In his second visit to China with Nike in five years, Tiger Woods spent the day at the Nike campus in Shanghai meeting with employees, young golf athletes and legendary basketball star Yao Ming.

“It’s great to be back in China once again with Nike. The enthusiasm I’ve seen here is infectious and it was great to speak to so many Chinese golf fans,” said Woods. “There are a lot of young and talented athletes here with huge potential to bring golf in China to the next level.”

Woods connected with Shanghai native Yao on their shared love for the game of golf. Yao, an eight-time NBA All-Star and current owner of the Shanghai Knights basketball team, is a passionate golfer.

“It is a great honor to meet Tiger in person and to share our experiences in sport to encourage young athletes to pursue their dreams,” said Yao. “Hopefully we inspired and motivated kids to challenge themselves and push the limits to accomplish their ultimate goals.”

Woods also spent time instructing approximately 40 junior golfers, providing insights on different aspects of the game. Nike had converted its campus football pitch into a small golf course for the day. Woods judged the Vapor City Challenge Final contest, a regional contest, and personally presented one individual and three team awards for driving distance, chipping and putting accuracy.

After Shanghai, Woods will visit Tokyo on April 26 for the second leg of his tour in Asia.