Fowler’s newborn, Sun Day Red’s latest, LaCava’s bold move | Rogers Report
The Fowlers have a new baby, Fred Couples shares a great Joe LaCava story, and more in this week's Rogers Report.
Rickie Fowler, Getty Images
Hello friends and welcome to this edition of the Rogers Report! I’m bummed that the Olympics are over, but I’m hopeful that there will be a handful of great social moments in golf over the next few weeks to keep me (and the rest of the golf world) entertained. Just when the sadness of the Olympic closing ceremony began to hit me on Sunday, Matt Kuchar saved the day by extending the second half of his 72nd hole at the Wyndham Championship by another day. Without that, Monday might’ve felt like returning to work after Christmas break.
A lot has happened over the last week, so let’s get right to it.
Rickie Fowler’s new baby
One of golf’s most beloved families (I would never put the Schefflers and Fowlers up against each other) welcomed a new member last week! Rickie Fowler and Allison Stokke took to social media to announce the birth of their second daughter, Nellie.
Not that my opinion on this matters at all, but Nellie Fowler is an A-plus name. She shares a first name (even though it’s spelled differently) with the No. 1 player in the world and has the last name of the No. 1 fan favorite. Nellie Fowler is destined to do great things, and I believe that’ll start with capturing all of our hearts at the 2025 Masters Par-3 Contest. Fowler’s oldest daughter, Maya, and Sammy Spieth went viral for being adorable during the event this past April, and I just know Nellie Fowler and Sophie Spieth will be the stars of the Par-3 Contest in a few short years.
Sun Day Red’s latest
Back in February, I attended Sun Day Red’s launch party in Los Angeles (sorry to brag). Tiger himself was in attendance, and he spoke about the inception of Sun Day Red and what it means to him. I recently caught up with Scott Frost, the head of marketing at Sun Day Red, to talk about the progress of the company since then.
How has the journey been since launching Sun Day Red?
We’ve all been extremely excited about the reception we have received. In just a few months, we successfully built a premium athluxury brand from the ground up, and this is only the beginning. Since the debut of Sun Day Red on May 1st, it has been incredible to see all our collections continue to sell out online. For our launch, we far exceeded our initial expectations. All of this to say, we haven’t even officially launched the complete apparel and footwear line. We have a variety of product drops set to launch this summer and fall. Lots to look forward to.
Can you share more about the development process, and how does Tiger’s involvement influence that process?
We are very much still in the launch phase, and Tiger continues to personally wear-test everything before we release it, providing us with invaluable feedback to ensure the highest quality. Collaborating with Tiger is incredibly beneficial as we experiment with new materials and styles, especially as he wears them in competition. This process has allowed us to see what works in various scenarios, from sporting environments to upscale events as we get ready to bring more styles to market. Tiger’s passion and personal involvement are essential for the brand, and truly separate us.
What can customers expect in the future?
A lot! We’ve got a busy summer and fall as we share more of the full product line, like outerwear, training, and more. We will also be introducing more styles and colors in our polos, including much of what you’ve been seeing Tiger wear at the PGA Championship and US Open. We’re listening to customer feedback and incorporating changes. For example, we have been getting feedback that fans would love to see the logo a bit more prominently on some of the polo options. One of the blessings about the stage we’re at as a company is that we can impact things like this, versus if we were on a standard spring/summer cadence that was locked six months ago. So, expect to see a logo on the left chest on a few of these options when they are released.
In short time, we’ll be on a more standard schedule for product drops. For now, we hope everyone simply enjoys the process, seeing new stuff, and please keep providing feedback so we know what you like.
I follow all things Tiger-related very closely, and am definitely a fan of their new royal blue sweatshirts.
Tiger’s scripting at Pinehurst was my favorite all year, so hopefully you all get a chance to rock a pink Sun Day Red shirt soon. (Fifteen major championships not included.)
Katie Ledecky at Le Golf National
A quick side note before I get into all of this: I am here for golf being in the Olympics. Both the men’s and women’s events produced incredible leaderboards in Paris. The only thing I can’t fully get on board with is the fact that we’re calling them the “Olympic Golf Competitions.” They’re tournaments! Can we please refer to them as the “Olympic Golf Tournaments” in 2028? Unfortunately, this is bothering me a lot more than it should and I just needed to get it off my chest. Okay, on to the rest of this segment.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: My favorite part of the Olympics is the crossovers we get between sports. Scottie Scheffler watching Simone Biles. Shane Lowry and Min Woo Lee out at tennis matches. I was hopeful that we’d see a few athletes out at Le Golf National for the golf competitions, but I have to admit I was not expecting Katie Ledecky to be one of them.
Ledecky is friends with Swiss golfer Albane Valenzuela, who finished T-13 at Le Golf National, but she also got to meet Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam at the course on Friday.
The fact that the women’s Olympic golf competition was Ledecky’s first-ever golf event definitely sets a high standard for whatever tournament she attends next. I’m thinking her next event has to be a major. Katie Ledecky, you’d love Augusta National.
If Ledecky is anything like Michael Phelps, she will have a lot of golf in her future, so I’m glad she was exposed to it in Paris. I have a feeling she’ll have no problem getting swing tips from some of the greatest players in the world. And as far as the Olympics go, I’m hoping some more athletes head to the golf events in Los Angeles in 2028. Simone Biles, Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik, I’m looking at you.
Social media reacts to Matt Kuchar’s decision
By now, you’re all aware of the fact that Matt Kuchar decided not to finish his 72nd hole on Sunday evening at the Wyndham Championship. He returned on Monday morning to hit his last three shots of the tournament and secure his T12 finish.
Social media never disappoints when something quirky happens in golf, and Sunday night was no exception. I’ve included some of my favorite tweets about the Kuchar situation for your viewing pleasure.
Never change, golf Twitter.
Joe LaCava’s hilarious caddie move
There are a handful of reasons why I could never be a caddie. First off, the bag is very heavy. Not only does it weigh a ton, these guys are looping with just one leather strap. I don’t think I could make it more than a hole or two looping on a hot day, so respect to all the caddies out there. However, the main reason I could never caddie is because I cry when I get yelled at.
So when Fred Couples shared a (hilarious) story about Joe LaCava from 1992, my respect for the veteran looper skyrocketed. That’s not to say I didn’t already have a ton of respect for the guy, but the fact that he gave Fred Couples a taste of his own medicine is incredible.
You have to be very confident in your job security to pull something like that. Here’s hoping Couples keeps sharing stories like this.
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