<p>In a move that follows consulting firm Accenture ending a six-year deal with Woods, Tag Heuer chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin told Swiss newspaper Le Matin on Friday that his firm will not use Woods images in US ads for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />"We recognize Tiger Woods as a great sportsman but we have to take account of the sensitivity of some consumers in relation to recent events," Babin told the newspaper.<br />The company, a unit of French luxury goods empire LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, would continue to back Woods's charity foundation, Babin said.<br /><br />Tag Heuer's move mirrors that of razormaker Gillette, which last weekend announced it was dropping Woods from commercials during his hiatus, calling it a supportive move.<br />"As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs," Gillette said.<br /><br />Tag Heuer provided only the latest in a series of blows on a day when Elin Woods reportedly hired famed Hollywood divorce lawyer Sorrell Trope and details emerged about a 2007 deal between a US magazine and Woods to keep an extra-marital affair secret. <br /><br />Elin Woods has hired 82-year-old Trope, a noted divorce attorney who has represented such stars as Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage, Britney Spears and Cary Grant in a 60-year career, the New York Post said.<br /><br />AT&T, which backs the US PGA Tour event operated by the golfer's foundation, is re-evaluating its relationship with Woods.<br /><br />US sportswear giant Nike, which pays Woods an estimated USD 40 million a year, still backs Woods as it has since his 1996 pro debut, with chairman Phil Knight telling Sports Business Journal the unfolding saga is a small problem.<br /><br />"When his career is over, you'll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip, but the media is making a big deal out of it right now," Knight said.<br /><br />The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the National Enquirer kept quiet about a Woods affair in 2007 in exchange for Woods giving rare access for a cover story to sister publication Men's Fitness.<br /><br />Under terms of the deal, the Enquirer would not publish photographs and a story on Woods having an extra-marital affair and Woods agreed to a cover and photo spread in Men's Fitness, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.</p>
<p>In a move that follows consulting firm Accenture ending a six-year deal with Woods, Tag Heuer chief executive Jean-Christophe Babin told Swiss newspaper Le Matin on Friday that his firm will not use Woods images in US ads for the foreseeable future.<br /><br />"We recognize Tiger Woods as a great sportsman but we have to take account of the sensitivity of some consumers in relation to recent events," Babin told the newspaper.<br />The company, a unit of French luxury goods empire LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, would continue to back Woods's charity foundation, Babin said.<br /><br />Tag Heuer's move mirrors that of razormaker Gillette, which last weekend announced it was dropping Woods from commercials during his hiatus, calling it a supportive move.<br />"As Tiger takes a break from the public eye, we will support his desire for privacy by limiting his role in our marketing programs," Gillette said.<br /><br />Tag Heuer provided only the latest in a series of blows on a day when Elin Woods reportedly hired famed Hollywood divorce lawyer Sorrell Trope and details emerged about a 2007 deal between a US magazine and Woods to keep an extra-marital affair secret. <br /><br />Elin Woods has hired 82-year-old Trope, a noted divorce attorney who has represented such stars as Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Nicolas Cage, Britney Spears and Cary Grant in a 60-year career, the New York Post said.<br /><br />AT&T, which backs the US PGA Tour event operated by the golfer's foundation, is re-evaluating its relationship with Woods.<br /><br />US sportswear giant Nike, which pays Woods an estimated USD 40 million a year, still backs Woods as it has since his 1996 pro debut, with chairman Phil Knight telling Sports Business Journal the unfolding saga is a small problem.<br /><br />"When his career is over, you'll look back on these indiscretions as a minor blip, but the media is making a big deal out of it right now," Knight said.<br /><br />The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the National Enquirer kept quiet about a Woods affair in 2007 in exchange for Woods giving rare access for a cover story to sister publication Men's Fitness.<br /><br />Under terms of the deal, the Enquirer would not publish photographs and a story on Woods having an extra-marital affair and Woods agreed to a cover and photo spread in Men's Fitness, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.</p>
