FLORIDA – Tiger Woods will be sporting a new look when he makes his 2024 season debut this week, after announcing on Feb 12 that he has teamed up with TaylorMade to launch a new apparel and footwear brand named Sun Day Red.
Woods, a 15-time Major winner who in January revealed he had parted ways with Nike, is known for his meticulous attention to detail and will have a significant role in the lifestyle brand’s products.
“I have learnt so much over the years and have a lifetime of experience adjusting my apparel and footwear to help me play better based on the way it was constructed,” Woods, 48, said in a press statement.
“There are things that I could tell you that no one knew I was doing over the years. I’m ready to share those secrets with the world.”
For Woods, whose trademark Sunday red shirt during the final round of tournaments has become one of golf’s most iconic looks, the new brand is an extension of his partnership with TaylorMade. He had signed an equipment endorsement deal with them in 2017.
The new agreement may be an adjustment for fans used to seeing the iconic Nike “swoosh” logo during the many highlight-reel shots and trophy lifts that Woods celebrated in his career.
In early January, Woods announced the end of a decades-long partnership with Nike. He had worn its products since signing with the sportswear giant after turning professional as a 20-year-old in 1996.
While Woods had his own brand of clothing and footwear with Nike, he started wearing FootJoy shoes at the 2022 Masters as he said he needed greater stability after suffering serious leg injuries in a February 2021 car crash.
His tenure with Nike was one of the most lucrative endorsement deals in sports history – estimated by Forbes at over US$500 million (S$673 million) – and played out while he dominated the game like no other golfer of his generation.
Fans will get their first glimpse of Woods competing in his new apparel on Feb 15 when he tees off in the opening round of The Genesis Invitational, which will be his first official PGA Tour event since last April’s Masters.
He made the cut at the 2023 Masters but withdrew before completing the third round because of plantar fasciitis and had ankle surgery later that month.
He returned to professional golf at the end of November in an unofficial PGA Tour event – the Hero World Challenge – which featured a limited field and no cut.
Two weeks later, Woods competed with his son Charlie at the PNC Championship, which is a 36-hole event featuring two-player teams made up of a Major champion and a family member.
The Genesis Invitational is one of the PGA Tour’s eight signature events in 2024, and features a halfway cut and US$20 million purse, including US$4 million for the winner. Spain’s Jon Rahm won the 2023 edition but will be absent after joining LIV Golf.
Sun Day Red, which will launch its first line of apparel for men on May 1 and will be available online in the United States and Canada, is a standalone brand with a dedicated team of designers and staff, as well as its own headquarters.
It plans to expand in key markets outside of North America and include footwear, women and kids’ lines. REUTERS
