Ups and downs of marketing

Camilo Villegas has been doing a great job as a member of the Red Bull energy drink sponsorship team lately.

Twice after rounds of the World Golf Championships Match Play Championship last week, Villegas was seen in televised interviews gulping down the magic elixir with the gusto of a man dying of thirst. It happened again yesterday at the Phoenix Open after his 2-under-par 69 gave him a share of the 36-hole lead with Mark Wilson. During a post-round interview with Golf Channel's Steve Sands, Villegas repeatedly took swigs of the high-octane brew. It seemed as though Villegas was more interested in waving his bottle of Red Bull in front of the camera than talking about his chances of winning the tournament.

Oldgolfdawg usually associates this kind of behavior with NASCAR drivers during victory celebrations, but the paint-swapping bunch doesn't have anything on Villegas in this regard. He pulled it off without a hitch.

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Meanwhile, Tiger Woods' relationship with Gatorade has crashed into a wall. A representative for the sports drink confirmed yesterday that it had ended its relationship with the golfer, who made a public apology last week for his infidelities.

"We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship," a Gatorade spokeswoman said. "We wish him all the best."

The spokeswoman said Gatorade would continue its relationship with the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Gatorade is the third major endorsement Woods has lost. AT&T Inc. and Accenture dropped Woods in the weeks following the tabloid frenzy of cheating allegations. The companies that have stuck most closely by Woods  --  Nike Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. --  reiterated their support last week when the golfer made his first public apology. Others, such as Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette and Swiss watch maker Tag Heuer, have de-emphasized him in their marketing.

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While Woods' fall from grace has damaged his marketability, the wild man appeal of John Daly has landed the star-crossed golfer a new endorsement deal from an underwear company to go with his outrageously loud pants. Slix, an online company based in Dallas that began just four months ago, says the two-time major winner will endorse its line of Slix Closer boxer briefs.

Daly, who has lost more than 100 pounds after lap-band surgery a year ago, no longer has a PGA Tour card. He has played four times this year and made his first cut last week in Mexico, before shooting 81 in the last round.

Information from the Associated Press was utilized in this post.