The debate around Jason Day’s fashion choices proves golf still has a ways to go.
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Apart from Bryson Dechambeau becoming a YouTuber and Rory McIlroy’s marital issues, one of the hottest side stories in golf this season has been Jason Day and his ever-widening pant legs. The Australian golfer, a former world number one and PGA champion, made a surprising switch at the beginning of the season from wearing Nike to lesser known Malbon. In theory, having its signature Buckets logo on the body of an internationally recognized athlete was supposed to give the rising lifestyle golf brand increased exposure with the more traditional golf crowd, the one that tunes in weekly to golf broadcasts and shops with green grass shops and big box retailers.
And exposure it certainly has created, but the reaction has been mixed at times. At the Masters, for example, Day wore a judicially branded vest that Augusta National officials asked him to remove. At other events, Malbon scripted him in baggy pants that prompted a series of memes likening Day to MC Hammer and Jerry Seinfeld (examples provided below for reference). The Malbon evangelists have taken to the phrase “more fabric,” while the adversaries shout “shrink the game” from the rooftops.
Jason Day on the first tee #themasters pic.twitter.com/mCxNYJI67c
— SammyD (@The_SammyD) April 11, 2024
At this point, the easiest way to tell that Jason Day is in contention to win is by looking through the comment section for angry golf bros. But that’s no concern for Stephen and Erica Malbon. Even if the majority of new people being exposed to the brand aren’t on board with it, Malbon already has a dedicated following that will multiply as it gains fans who resonate with its challenger status. Of course, the thing about the internet is that outrage often spreads quicker than nuance, and that led us to wonder, who are these angry men on Twitter and Instagram, and do they actually exist in real life?
Last week we went on a road trip to the US Open with Lexus, starting out by playing Tobacco Road and Duke University Golf Club before making our way to Pinehurst. Lexus is both the official auto brand of the US Open, and a partner of Malbon since last November. Determined to get a vibe check, we walked up to fans at random and asked them what they thought about Jason Day’s style and whether it’s appropriate for a tournament setting.
On the 18th hole just off outside the Lexus hospitality suite, we met a young man wearing a Masters polo who astutely observed the synergy between Jason Day and his caddie Luke Reardon.
“I like it. If you look at his caddie’s hat as well, he’s wearing the Tony Hawk skater thing. I saw Jason Day hit a bomb on 16 and it’s gotta do with the streetwear. If you look back at what he was wearing at the PGA, everyone can appreciate the streetwear.”
Next, we met up with Megan Lore, a content creator from Atlanta who had a balanced take on the brand.
“I do love Malbon, I think the look is really chic and cool off the course. But I think respecting the tradition and the history of the game and wearing the appropriate attire is what I would do. But I think it’s really cool off the course.”
Another gentleman wearing a monochromatic navy outfit respected Malbon’s approach, but isn’t a fan of the billowy parachute pants Day wore at the Masters.
“I definitely think it’s a unique style. I think what he was wearing today is kind of in between, loud but still at the same time very sleek and professional. You know, some days it’s better than others. I think when he has those big old parachute pants, it’s a bit loud and a little bit distracting. Not only for the audience, but I think for the fellow players as well.”
Later on we met Kyah Owusu, a young woman following her husband Brandon Robinson-Thompson who was playing in the tournament. After our chat she told us how she had been trying to help Brandon find some progressive golf apparel brands.
“I saw Jason Day’s outfit, I love it. I think the new era of golf swag is in and it’s nice, fresh and relaxed, it’s cool. So yeah, I think it’s cool.”
Our last conversation was with a young man wearing a pink polo and New Balances who sung the praises of Malbon and its mission to make golf younger.
“I think they’re extremely good looking. I think he’s definitely one of the flashiest players right now on tour. If I were to choose a brand, I would definitely choose that one. The bagginess, kind of bringing the retro back, I think that’s a lot of the hit nowadays.”
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Sensing he had more to say, we asked whether he thought an untucked shirt and shorts were appropriate for the course.
“I think it is. I mean it’s not tradition, but you got LIV now. You got all this type of stuff that’s breaking tradition. I think golf needs to go not in a disrespectful way, but move away from the old greats. You got a lot of new guys coming up who are carrying the tour now, not the old guys even though they did have their highlights. But now it’s all about the new guys coming in.”
Bro was spitting, and he had a point. But the irony is that at times, the outfits that Jason Day have worn are much closer to tradition than what most of the performance polo-clad pros wear on tour today. How about the button-up shirts that guys like Arnold Palmer wore in the 60s, or the tipped collars of the 90s, or the big pants of the early 2000s? All of these styles have been part of Day and Malbon’s repertoire throughout 2024. What’s more, none of it is even that adventurous when compared to contemporary fashion. Ultimately, the fact that we’re even having this debate proves that although golf has come a long way in the last five years thanks to brands like Malbon, there’s still a ways to go.