Tiger Woods only played 12 competitive rounds this year across five professional tournaments – four of them majors – but he spent enough time on the course to provide feedback for improvements to his premium golf apparel line: Sun Day Red.
Woods eight months ago announced a partnership with TaylorMade to create a new collection of performance apparel, accessories and shoes after spending 27 years with Nike and becoming almost synonymous with the ‘swoosh’ in golf circles.
The initial Sun Day Red lineup was released to significant fanfare in May. And today the brand unveiled its new Heritage Line that features 14 distinct classic-fit polos as part of its “Logo Collection.”
“I approach apparel and footwear design as an extension of my equipment – it needs to perform just like anything else I take with me into a tournament,” said the 48-year-old Woods. “Throughout this year, we’ve been working on new polos, and I’ve put them to test in real-time during competition. We’ve been focused on every detail: materials, fit, collar stays, buttons, style, logo application, and more.”
Fire Red is one of the new colorways in the Logo Collection of golf apparel from Sun Day Red.
Despite a higher price point (knit polos sold for $125 apiece) and mixed reaction from consumers on the brand’s logo, Sun Day Red’s initial sales earlier this year exceeded any expectations the company had coming in, said company president Brad Blankinship. While he advanced to the weekend in only one event this year – finishing 60th at The Masters – and shot a combined 46-over par in five starts, Woods remains the game’s ultimate ‘needle-mover.’
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“So much of what we first launched sold through much quicker than we could have imagined and this summer we’ve been working tirelessly to get sold out styles back in-stock while continuing to introduce new styles, like the Logo Collection,” said Blankinship. “We couldn’t be more excited that some of our hero styles like chainstitch hoodies and lifestyle hats, that sold out almost immediately at launch, are now back on sundayred.com.”
The initial sales of Sun Day Red apparel exceeded expectations, company officials said.
The latest line of shirts, which offer a balance between a slim and roomy fit, features new colorways that include Shock Pink, Med Blue, Ice Purple, and Fire Red. They’re also priced slightly lower than they were at the initial launch, at $115.
Beyond input on design and features, Woods provided feedback on aspects such as the weight of the shirt, the collar stays, buttons, water absorbency, and the fit. Throughout the process he tested multiple versions of the shirt to achieve the desired balance of weight and absorbency.
The new release has a variety of performance and weighting options tailored to different playing conditions, such as heat and humidity, or cooler weather.
Woods wanted the shirt tail to be slightly stepped in the back, allowing for the right amount of tuck without adding bulk. He also insisted on the strategic placement of the three pearl buttons that allows the top button to be left undone and maintain a perfect spread as traditionally worn. And the collar features ‘stays’ that keep the look crisp and well positioned on the neck, even during long, hot days on the course.
Woods founded Sun Day Red earlier this year after spending the previous 27 years with Nike.
“When we set out to create Sun Day Red, we promised that we’d be just as meticulous about what we refuse to make, as what we end up making,” said Woods. “So, we’ve taken feedback from my testing, scrapped what didn’t work as well, and put our learnings into this incredible lineup.”