AUGUSTA, Ga. — For Tiger Woods, everything was familiar on Thursday at the Masters. He’s made a living here (five Masters titles). He knows the course, the contours, the greens, the clubhouse, the locker room and even the parking lot.
His 3:54 p.m. tee time was swarming with patrons, too, which also isn’t new. Although there was one minor thing that made Woods’ 25th professional start at the Masters different than all of the rest — that logo slapped on this chest and hat.
If it looked a little weird from your TV screens at home, that’s because it still is a little odd to see Woods without the Nike swoosh on his shirt or hat. And Thursday was his first Masters tournament round as a professional without it.
After splitting with Nike at the end of 2023, Woods unveiled his new Sun Day Red brand on Feb. 12, just days before he served as player/host at the Genesis Invitational. But Woods withdraw from the tournament during Friday’s second round with flu-like symptoms and wasn’t around the rest of the week, so the new logo has hardly been on TV screens (especially since Woods hasn’t played an event since). Not until this week, when Sun Day Red gets screen time for a much larger audience a tournament like the Masters generates.
The new logo uses 15 stripes — the number of Woods major titles — to create the tiger profile that replaces the old TW logo. At the Genesis, Woods said he won’t get the old logo back. Nor does he seem to want it.
“I’ve moved on,” Woods said. “This is a transition in my life. I’ve moved on to Sun Day Red, and we’re looking forward to building a brand that elicits excitement and is transformative.”
Woods’ Sun Day Red line drops on May 1. It consists of apparel — like polos and sweatshirts — as well as golf shoes, golf gloves, hats and more.
“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 release unveiling the brand. “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.”
As for the best way to gain more exposure for the new endeavor? Four rounds at Augusta National won’t hurt.
