Has Anybody Asked Jason?

Breaking the rules, bringing the game into disrepute, and stirring the pot isn’t really the done thing at Augusta National. You can’t run, sit down on the grass, or have your mobile phone with you while on the golf course. The green jackets are quick to enforce these rules and the ramifications, well, could lead to you never returning to the premises.

Jason Day. Now, prior to Malbon Golf, Day has represented Adidas and Nike, and throughout the years, you couldn’t say Jason wore either brand with much style or swagger; he looked like any other golfer wearing the same brands. Fast forward to the present day, and dripped out in Malbon Golf, he’s being held up as the saviour of golf fashion.

This past Friday, during the completion of his first round, Day appeared in a sweater vest scripted by the team at Malbon Golf. A vest that the green jackets must have deemed inappropriate for tournament play at Augusta National. Day was asked to remove said vest, to which he obliged. ‘It came from Augusta National,’ he was later quoted saying.

Abiding by the rules is just how things are done at The Masters; how was Day allowed to be put in this awkward position? Did Day ask the question ‘Am I allowed to wear this?’ ‘Should I wear this?’ Scripting is nothing new for brands, for the major championships, where the most eyeballs are on the sport; they want to make sure their players are wearing the latest clothing and looking good doing so.

Did anyone ask Day how he felt putting that vest on? In high-level sport, every 1% is vital; feeling prepared, nailing nutrition, putting in the hours of practice, all to ‘feel’ that mentally you have an edge. No distractions, 100% focus on the task at hand. Look good, feel good… Is someone going to ask me to take this off?