Tom Watson is teeing it up at The Masters for the last time this week, and for his finale at Augusta he has signed a "splashy sponsorship deal" to promote IBM Watson, the company's artificially intelligent computer system, according to Daniel Roberts of YAHOO FINANCE. The two-time Masters winner will appear on "one of the 'Watson & Me' TV ads" that previously have featured tennis player Serena Williams. The two appear to be a "good fit," as IBM does not sponsor any other golfer, and Watson "is a classy and scandal-free, if quiet, choice for an endorsement deal." There also is the "humor of their names: IBM's founder was named Tom Watson." Watson the golfer said, "I've been thinking about IBM for a long time. I always felt like, wouldn't it be cool to have an involvement with IBM? I wish they'd try to use me in some way, shape or form, and we could try to make fun of the situation." Roberts noted during a time when the traditional athlete endorsement deal "is less popular due to the risk of a personal scandal, Tom Watson is a safe, smart choice." IBM has served as the tech partner of The Masters since '96, and it "powers the Masters app, which launched in 2010 and has a slew of new bells and whistles this year" (FINANCE.YAHOO.com, 4/5).
