Rory McIlroy says he is ready to follow Tiger Woods’ lead and ditch his Nike contract.

Nike could lose another top golfer in the coming years following the departure of 12-time champion Tiger Woods, with Rory McIlroy’s contract expiring in 2027.

Both Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were Nike athletes at one point (

Rory McIlroy could follow in Tiger Woods’ footsteps and leave giant Nike after his partnership with new golf apparel maker Grayson expires following talks with the Dubai-based company’s founder.

Earlier this month, Woods and Nike celebrated their first successful commercial partnership in 27 years. This partnership earned the golf legend £311m.

“Twenty-seven years ago, we were fortunate enough to partner with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Woods said in an official statement. “The next few days are filled with so many wonderful moments and memories. If I name them, I might disappear forever.”

There are rumors of a connection between Woods, a 15-time major winner, and TaylorMade, a PGA Series winner who uses the club. The brand retweeted Woods’ upcoming appearance on the podcast with the caption “Stay tuned,” along with an emoji.

Now, attention has turned to another Nike golfer, McIlroy, who is under contract with the brand until 2027. But the Grayson brand hinted at where its future might lie when co-founder Charlie Schaeffer shared a photo of him smiling and joking next to McIlroy in Dubai.

Meeting Schaefer was one of the happiest moments of McIlroy’s time in Dubai, where he narrowly missed out on winning the Dubai Invitational. McIlroy finished second behind Tommy Fleetwood and was criticized for his performance. “I made some silly mistakes, which is to be expected when I come back to a tournament after such a long time,” he said. “If I can get that done, I feel like the rest of the game is there.”

McIlroy smiled and gave Fleetwood a big hug on the 18th green after missing out on his first Scottish Open win since July. “It’s always special to play and challenge a friend who is one of the best players in the world,” Fleetwood said.