U.S. Open 2019: Rickie Fowler’s Cobra headwear is a blast from the past

Those watching Rickie Fowler’s U.S. Open pre-tournament press conference may have wondered if they’d traveled back in time. Plastered across the front of Fowler’s white hat was a logo that, until recently, had suffered the same fate as balata golf balls and steel-shafted drivers.

But thanks to the rise in popularity of retro apparel in recent years — even in the golf space — the King Cobra logo is enjoying a rebirth of sorts this season.

Earlier this year, Cobra brought back the old King Cobra logo and placed it on a trucker hat that Fowler has been wearing on and off since the PGA Championship. As you’d expect, the return of the iconic script with the Cobra wearing a crown has been a boon for the brand’s headwear business, especially when it comes to golfers who have fond memories of the King Cobra brand.

Golfers who grew up in the mid-90s likely remember seeing the King Cobra logo on some highly-successful products, including the Deep Face driver Tiger Woods used to win the 1997 Masters, the Baffler fairway wood and the company’s first set of oversized irons. And don’t forget about Greg Norman, who held the top spot in golf during King Cobra’s heyday.

When Cobra was sold by Acushnet to Puma in 2010, the King Cobra name was shortened to simply “Cobra.” The Cobra name has remained, but the company made it a point to reintroduce “King” to clubs in 2015 with its King LTD metalwoods.

Whether Fowler finally breaks through and wins his first major title this week or comes up short again, at least he’ll look good competing in one of the better-looking hats at Pebble Beach.

Fowler, currently 20-1 in Las Vegas, tees off at 11:02 a.m. ET Thursday morning alongside Si Woo Kim and Jason Day.

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