Tiger Woods and Sun Day Red made their debut last week at the Genesis Invitational, but the soft launch was cut short due to Woods catching the flu. Despite a shortened week, we still got a look at what Sun Day Red can offer, and what’s on the horizon for this new era.
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After teasing the apparel launch last Monday before the start of the tournament, we got to see the new logo (which had been circulating around the internet sphere for a couple of weeks prior) in action and learn more about what Sun Day Red is really about. But what was shown at this private event seemed to be more lifestyle wear than the on-course wear, showcasing only two golf shirts along with a series of accessories, hoodies, a pullover, and a full-zip jacket, compared to what Woods’ arrived in for his practice rounds.
Based on the teaser, we get the feeling that SDR won’t be in the likes of J.Lindeberg or G/FORE where the innovative use of color is the staple characteristic, but rather a more subdued approach that is minimal in styling, yet high-quality luxe pieces. Perhaps, a representation of where Woods’ is at this point in his career? He’s no longer that young, all-eyes-on-me type of player (debatable), but rather a matured, seasoned vet who keeps the young guys on their toes.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: Tiger Woods putts on the 18th hole during practice for The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 13, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Ben Jared
On Tuesday, Woods arrived in an outfit that can only be described as a perfect example of the ultimate capsule wardrobe hack—the sandwich theory. The sandwich theory creates balance throughout an outfit by coordinating two items of the same color to act as the “bread” of the sandwich while adding a contrasting item (that’s typically a bold-colored shirt or textured item) to act as the meat of the sandwich (or whatever sandwich topping your heart desires).
Woods’ may not have been the most creative usage of the sandwich theory we’ve seen, nevertheless, it’s a timeless look and colorway that is synonymous with Woods’ success—black and red. He kept things quite minimal with a black hat, a black sweater layered over a black polo paired with stone-colored khaki pants, topped off with black and red shoes.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 13: A detail of the TaylorMade Sun Day Red shoes worn by Tiger Woods during practice for The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 13, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Ben Jared
The shoes Woods’ debuted at Riviera differ from the ones that were shown at the Sun Day Red private event the day before. The ones we got a glimpse at resemble a sneaker-like design, similar to shoes we see from Cole Haan and Ecco, whereas the shoes he wore around the course had a similar appearance to the FootJoy Premiere shoes we’ve seen him wear in recent years.
The state of Woods’ footwear choices has been debated for the last two seasons and remains unclear on what his plans are. We do know that he prioritizes comfort and stability, which led him to switch from Nike to FootJoy in 2022 after injuring his leg in a car accident. There’s been no word on whether the new Sun Day Red footwear has been specially tailored to Wood’s needs, but remains another point of interest as the collection launch date inches closer.
On Wednesday, Woods’ look was an all-black ensemble highlighted by his white shoes with red detailing including the new tiger logo.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 14: Tiger Woods of the United States walks the eighth green during a pro-am prior to The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 14, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ronald Martinez
We love the Sun Day Red script down the side of the pants towards the bottom hemline. It’s a nice finishing touch to what looks like an unassuming pair of normal golf pants, once again hinting towards the subtle yet striking nature of the collection. Each piece has intentional detailing designed to set the collection apart from what’s circulating around today’s market.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 14: A detail of the TaylorMade Sun Day Red logos on the pants and shoes of Tiger Woods during the pro-am prior to The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 14, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
Ben Jared
Round One
On Thursday, the 82-time PGA Tour winner did a 180 from his looks from the previous two days. He pulled out an off-white tonal look that can only be described as clean, vibrant, and dare we say a blank slate of sorts.
Now this is only our creative speculation, but wearing all-black is not only chic but it typically symbolizes a period of mourning. Tiger and Nike are now a thing of the past, a long chapter that has ended—and in Woods’ own words, he’s “moved on”. Sun Day Red is now his future, his latest venture that just may be a legacy project. Coincidence or not, the timing and symbolic messaging around these looks are quite apparent. We may never get confirmation, and despite the simplicity of the apparel, these were bold styling choices to make.
Ronald Martinez
And while the largest takeaway from Tiger’s first round was his notable shank on the 18th, his opening round look was something of a thing of beauty. The monochromatic off-white look was a breath of fresh air.
Round Two
Six holes proved to be plenty of time for Woods’ day two look to send nostalgic shock waves across the golf world. In a nod to his 90s fashion, pre-dating his partnership with Nike, Woods’ transported us to 1992 with his striped red, white, and blue polo.
Sean M. Haffey
Though the 2024 version, named the 92 Cypress Polo, is more of a performance polo than vintage rugby polo vibes, it was fun to watch Tiger channel past moments of his career. Tiger was in his early 20s when he signed his deal with Nike, and in the 90s he was a bit of a fashionista. From the baggy polos to straw fedoras, Woods had a unique sense of style that we didn’t get to see much of during his tenure with Nike.
27 Feb 1992: Tiger Woods watches his shot during the 1992 Los Angeles Open at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Mandatory Credit: Gary Newkirk /Allsport
Gary Newkirk
The untimely nature of his flu diagnosis may have put a damper on teasing Sun Day Red last week in LA, but Woods and the SDR team still have some time before May 1 to build up the hype once more. Arguably the most important week in golf that happens every year in April will be another huge window of opportunity. There’s no bigger (or better) week than Masters week to create buzz around a potential launch and we can expect to see more from Sun Day Red around then.
Based on what we saw early on at Genesis, we hope that Woods embraces this new era of his and we get to see more of his personality in this new venture.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
