Those looking to replenish their electrolytes with a bottle of Gatorade Tiger Focus are out of luck: Gatorade has announced that it is discontinuing the Tiger-Woods-branded beverage.
Gatorade (a division of PepsiCo Inc.) says that the decision to shelf the drink was made before Woods' minor car accident and the related tumult of adultery allegations, the Associated Press reports.
As first announced in Beverage Digest Nov. 25, Tiger Focus debuted in March 2008. The drink was "formulated to contain more electrolytes based on factors that affect Woods' training and competition, including his workout intensity, his hydration strategies as well as duration and hot weather conditions he often faces on the course," according to Gatorade.com.
Yet sales of the beverage were down 34% in 2009 through October. The 33 year-old golfer's run-in with a fire hydrant occurred on Nov. 27 — two days after infidelity charges first hit newsstands.
The end of Tiger Focus does not, at press time, mean the end of Woods' lucrative endorsement deal with the sports drink company. In a Nov. 30 statement, Gatorade said, "We wish Tiger well as he recovers and look forward to seeing him on the course soon…Our partnership with Tiger continues."
