Tiger Woods will be sporting a new look for the 2024 season after confirming he has teamed up with TaylorMade to launch a new clothing and footwear brand named Sun Day Red.
The 15-time major champion revealed the new partnership ahead of his first start of the year at the Genesis Invitational, live on Sky Sports, where Woods made his first PGA Tour start as an amateur back in 1992 and is now tournament host.
Sun Day Red, or SDR, replaces Nike’s TW Collection as Woods’ official clothing brand, after Woods announced last month the end of his 27-year partnership with Nike last month.
“I have learned 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 said in a news release. “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.
“Sun Day Red will embody a love of playing and competing, and we are for people that share those values, whether it’s on the course, or in life. We will be anchored to putting the athlete first in the product decisions we make.”
The brand is an extension of Woods’ partnership with TaylorMade, who he signed an equipment endorsement deal with in 2017. It also brings an end of his association with the Nike “swoosh” logo worn for all 82 of this PGA Tour victories.
Woods wore the swoosh on his shirt for the final time at the PNC Championship in December that he played with his son, Charlie, who was wearing clothes from a different apparel company.
What is Sun Day Red?
The name is a reference to Woods’ trademark look of wearing a red polo shirt for the final rounds of tournaments, with the logo featuring an abstract drawing of a tiger that is positioned below the buttons of the polo shirts rather than the usual spot on the chest.
The tiger emblem has 15 stripes on it, representing each of his major victories to date, while the continued association with the colour is because Woods’ mother saw red as a symbol of strength.
Sun Day Red will be available in North America on May 1, according to its official website, which promises “innovative performance wear and luxury lifestyle fashion”, while the brand plans to expand to include women’s and children’s styles as well as footwear.
The brand will be based in San Clemente, California, and not in TaylorMade’s home in nearby Carlsbad. Brad Blankinship has been appointed president of Sun Day Red and will oversee day-to-day management, having previously worked at brands including Quiksilver and RVCA.
TaylorMade chief executive David Abeles said: “This brand stands alone. It is independent from TaylorMade and it is run by an independent group of leaders that are part of my team – I couldn’t be more thrilled – so that we can focus on what matters on this brand most.”
Woods’ first outing in his new brand will be when he returns to PGA Tour action at Riviera Country Club for the Genesis Invitational, having been confirmed earlier this month as one of the tournament exemptions for the Signature Event.
The 48-year-old has said he aims to play one tournament a month in 2024 as he returns from plantar fasciitis and ankle surgery last spring, with Woods missing three of the four majors last year through injury.
Watch Tiger Woods in action throughout 2024 live on Sky Sports. The Genesis Invitational is live from February 15-18. Stream the majors, PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more on NOW.
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Source : Sky Sports