The four days of The Masters "winds up as a neatly orchestrated runway show for Nike Golf, with its top-level endorsers standing in as club-swinging models," according to Erik Siemers of the PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL. Nike on Wednesday released the "four-outfit collections of eight golfers playing" in next week's tournament. The Masters is "not only one of the biggest golf events of the year, but it's also the biggest stage for Nike Golf to display its latest in apparel and gear." Nike Golf VP/Global Apparel & Footwear Merritt Richardson in a release said, "We work with our athletes up to a year in advance to determine which styles and colors they prefer to compete in at a Major Championship. We share our newest innovations for the season with them and listen to their needs in terms of performance, comfort and style to ensure they are dressed to compete at their highest level" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 4/4). In Milwaukee, Gary D'Amato noted Nike Golf has had "scripted" apparel for staff players at the four major championships for more than 10 years. The Nike athletes playing next week include Russell Henley, Rory McIlroy, Francesco Molinari, Thorbjorn Olesen, Carl Pettersson, Charl Schwartzel, Nick Watney and Tiger Woods (JSONLINE, 4/4).
FOLLOW THE LEADER: YAHOO SPORTS' Shane Bacon wrote scripting was something Nike started "years ago and other companies have followed." adidas-branded players, including Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, will "be wearing the same outfits during the week just as the Ashworth team, including Justin Rose and Fred Couples, will do" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/3).
ON THE RUNWAY: GOLF CHANNEL's Bailey Mosier wrote when you are Woods, "you don't have to draw any additional attention to yourself in order to stand out in a crowd." And perhaps that was the Nike team's "thinking -- keep things simple and subdue -- when scripting Woods' wardrobe" for The Masters. Their "main focus throughout the week was mellow, with just a splash of yellow" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/3). Mosier wrote McIlroy's Masters wardrobe includes "differing colors, hues and prints that keep things fresh and fun." He will be "sporting bold colors each day with color pops in either his polo, trousers or his Nike Lunar Control footwear" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/3). Meanwhile, Mosier wrote defending champion Bubba Watson's all-white wardrobe for last year's Masters was "perhaps a bit too pale for his personality." Watson's Oakley-outfitted wardrobe this year will "certainly be more Bubba-licious, with bright colors, stripes, patterns ... and some Georgia Bulldog red to boot." One thing worth "noting is that he kept a white polo as the focal point for his Sunday look." Mosier: "I guess he knows from past experience that white goes great with green" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/3). Mosier wrote Rickie Fowler, "per true Fowler flair," is keeping things "bright" with his Puma outfit next week (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 4/3).
A GOLDEN LINE: In Milwaukee, Heather Ronaldson noted Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp. this month released the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Line, which "includes golf shoes, hats, belts, gloves and a stadium blanket." The collection's shoe styles are "named after Nicklaus-designed golf courses." The shoes are "spikeless and use an X-patterned tread that secures golfers' feet as much as they respect the putting greens." Nicklaus' son "contributed ideas to the design, as did other professional [golfers] and experts who tried on and provided input to Allen Edmonds during the development process" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4/4).
