Even for those with only a passing interest in golf, one of the sport’s most memorable images is Tiger Woods playing his way to another major tournament victory wearing a red polo shirt with a white Nike swoosh.
However, that image is officially a thing of the past. In January, Mr. Woods announced the end of his 27-year deal with Nike, which had earned him hundreds of millions of dollars. The partnership was marked by memorable commercials and, of course, the red Nike shirts worn by Mr. Woods in many final rounds on Sundays.
When Mr Woods announced the end of his partnership with Nike, he said there would “definitely be another chapter”. On Monday, he and his new sponsor, TaylorMade Golf, made it clear that the next chapter will once again feature a red polo shirt. It will be stitched with a tiger in the center, the logo for his new brand under TaylorMade: Sun Day Red.
Sun Day Red is being marketed as a “lifestyle brand” for sports fans and non-athletes alike, and will include apparel — even cashmere sweaters — and shoes, TaylorMade CEO David Abeles said in an interview. (Mr. Woods switched to FootJoy shoes from Nike after his car accident in 2021.)
How much of a role design will play in this outfit was not entirely clear, but Mr. Abeles said that “the design language of the products is completely different” from the products worn by Mr. Woods in his last sponsorship deal. Initial promotional images showed a new logo — a tiger with 15 stripes to mark the number of major championships Mr. Woods won. a black, long-sleeved T-shirt with the brand’s name, Sun Day Red, on it. and the red polo version, which is at the bloodier end of the red spectrum and features black buttons, suggesting attention to detail. (To be fair, there’s only so much one can do with a pole.)
Mr. Woods’ affinity for red comes from his mother, who is from Thailand, where color matters.
“We worked with what he thinks is the red most associated with his color palette,” Mr. Abeles said. “The red color he chose is the one that is most obvious and most consistent with what he believes is the red that has inspired him.”
As for the space between “Sun” and “Day,” Mr. Abeles said it was intended to underline the brand as more than a weekly.
“Sunday red is the color that has made Tiger, you know, very famous on Sundays,” he said. But Mr. Woods “plays golf more than Sunday,” Mr. Abels added.
In aspiration, if not design, Sun Day Red reflects a growing trend, one in which athletes see long-term potential in the growing convergence of fashion and sports in a category known as “lifestyle.”
To that end, many are less interested in being live advertisements for a sponsor than actual participants, demanding increased ownership and control of their own brand. In 2019, Roger Federer became an investor and guest designer for Swiss sneaker company On, and in 2022 Tom Brady unveiled Brady, a menswear brand developed in conjunction with Jens Grede, the mastermind behind Skims by Kim Kardashian. Serena Williams also has her own fashion line, S by Serena.
Mr. Abeles would not confirm whether Mr. Woods had any equity in the brand.
Sun Day Red will exist as a standalone brand within TaylorMade, with its own headquarters and design team. The company has appointed Brad Blankinship, formerly of Quiksilver, to oversee day-to-day operations.
Sun Day Red will first make its products available for sale online on May 1, with the goal of eventually expanding internationally. Polos will cost $115 to $175 and cashmere sweaters will cost $250 to $350.
Mr Woods has had an equipment deal with TaylorMade since 2017, when Nike closed its equipment business. The company has been talking to Mr. Woods about an expanded relationship in recent months, Mr. Abels said. It included a visit to Mr. Woods’ boardroom in Jupiter, Florida, where the TaylorMade team showed him a video that “really connected to his legacy, his greatness, his values and his future.”
Mr. Woods is now, in many ways, entering a new era in his professional life, nearly five years after his last major championship. Last year, he joined the PGA Tour’s powerful board and has been a key player in the deliberations as it negotiates its future.
Mr Woods announced the TaylorMade deal on Monday in Southern California, where he is hosting the Genesis Invitational.
“I’ve learned so much over the years and have a lifetime of experience tailoring my clothing and footwear to help me play better based on how they’re made,” Mr Woods said in a statement. “There are things I could tell you that no one knew I did all these years. I am ready to share these secrets with the world.”
