It is not often that the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club is waiting for a competitor finishing his first round at the Masters. When he is, it usually isn’t a good thing. After finishing his first round this morning Fred Ridley had a few words with Jason Day. Not for anything he did on the course, but with regards to what he was wearing. We’ve been saying that ANGC has strict rules for patrons…they also have rules for competitors. Jordan Spieth received a talking to for merely wearing his hat backwards during an interview. Jon Rahm was asked to refrain from dropping F bombs on the course.
Golf fans everywhere were talking about Day’s choice of pants Thursday afternoon. He outdid himself this morning.
There was worry yesterday that Day might find himself involuntarily airborne with his MC Hammer/80’s style parachute pants flapping in the 40+ mph winds. X blew up with comments. This morning out on the course to complete his round, Day one upped his look from Thursday. “Golf X” did not disappoint. Multiple commentators likened the vest he adorned to a pack of Marlboro’s. My thought was that somebody at Malbon knows a deep dark secret about Day and he was made an offer he couldn’t refuse. His choice of clothes at earlier events turned heads, but nothing like this.
At the beginning of 2024 Day announced that he had entered into an apparel contract with Malbon. The company, created in 2017 by golf enthusiasts Stephen and Erica Malbon, has a simple mission statement, “To inspire today’s youth to participate in the greatest game on Earth.” So I guess its understandable that the look seems out of place in the golf world. They aren’t aiming at us, but the next generation of golfers. It is yet another example of “growing the game.”
As i discussed yesterday, Augusta National has been both openly and quietly trying to engage younger players. Malbon thought this would be the stage to make a statement. Fred Ridley respectfully disagrees.
