Tiger Woods introduces his new brand: Sun Day Red

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 while wearing a red polo shirt with a white Nike swoosh.

However, that image is officially a thing of the past. In JanuaryMr. Woods announced the end of his 27-year deal with Nike, which had earned him hundreds of millions of dollars. The collaboration was marked by memorable advertisements and of course the red Nike shirts that Mr. Woods on Sunday carried during many final rounds.

When Mr. Woods announced the end of his partnership with Nike, he said there would “certainly be a new chapter.” On Monday, he and his new brand sponsor, TaylorMade Golf, made it clear that the next chapter would once again include 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.)

It wasn't entirely clear how much of a role design will play in those clothes, but Mr. Abeles said that “the design language of the products is completely different” from the products Mr. Woods wore during his last sponsorship deal. The first promotional images showed a new logo: a tiger with fifteen stripes to represent the number of major championships Mr. Woods won; a black long-sleeved T-shirt with the Sun Day Red brand name on it; and the red polo version, which is on the bloodier end of the red spectrum and features black buttons, suggesting attention to detail. (To be honest, there's only so much someone can do with a polo.)

Mr. Woods' affinity for red stems from his mother, who is from Thailand, where the color has significance.

“We looked at 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 prominent and most consistent with what he believes to be the red that inspired him.”

As for the space between 'Sun' and 'Day', Mr Abeles said this was intended to underline the brand as more than a weekly fit.

“Sunday red is the color that made Tiger on Sunday very famous,” he said. But Mr. Woods “plays golf more than just on Sundays,” Mr. Abeles added.

In terms of ambition, if not design, Sun Day Red reflects a growing trend, one in which athletes see long-term potential in the increasing convergence of fashion and sport into one category known as 'lifestyle'.

To that end, many are less interested in being a living advertisement for a sponsor than actual participants, and are demanding more ownership and control over their own brand. In 2019, Roger Federer became both an investor in and guest designer for On, the Swiss sneaker company, and in 2022 Tom Brady unveiled Brady, a menswear brand developed in collaboration with Jens Grede, the mastermind behind Kim Kardashian's Skims. Serena Williams also has her own clothing line, S by Serena.

Mr Abeles would not confirm whether Mr Woods had shares in the brand.

Sun Day Red will exist as a standalone brand within TaylorMade, with its own headquarters and team of designers. The company has appointed Brad Blankinship, who previously worked at Quiksilver, to oversee day-to-day operations.

Sun Day Red will offer its products for sale online for the first time on May 1, with the goal of eventually expanding internationally. Polos cost between $115 and $175, and cashmere sweaters between $250 and $350.

Mr. Woods has had an equipment deal with TaylorMade since 2017, when Nike shut down its equipment business. The company has made a pitch to Mr. Woods in recent months about an expanded relationship, Mr. Abeles said. It included a visit to Mr. Woods' boardroom in Jupiter, Florida, where the TaylorMade team showed him a pitch video that “really connected to his legacy, his greatness, his values ​​and his future.”

In many ways, Mr. Woods is now entering a new era in his professional life, almost five years after his last major championship. Last year he joined the PGA Tour's powerful board and was a key player in deliberations over its future. .

Mr. Woods announced the TaylorMade deal on Monday in Southern California, where he is hosting the Genesis Invitational tournament.

“I have learned so much over the years and have a lifetime of experience customizing my clothing and shoes to help me play better based on the way it is built,” Mr. Woods said in a statement. “There are things I could tell you that no one knew I did over the years. I'm ready to share those secrets with the world.”