The former World No. 1 and stylish 66-year-old is no stranger to sparking headlines in the world of golf fashion
Fred Couples is no stranger to sparking headlines in the world of golf fashion. The PGA Tour Champions player previously broke the sartorial Internet back in 2010 when he donned Ecco “tennis shoes”—without socks, no less—to the Masters, and again in 2022, when he showed up to his own beachside wedding in a monochrome athleisure ’fit with Asics sneakers, much to the delight of social media, attendees and, thankfully, his wife.
The former World No. 1 and stylish 66-year-old is again splashing the sport’s fashion section, becoming the latest pro to rep Malbon, the California-cool golf and lifestyle brand founded by husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Erica Malbon.
Couples will make his official Malbon debut at the PNC Championship, with both he and his stepson Hunter Hannemann sporting the “buckets” logo, joining Jesper Parnevik, Jason Day, Charley Hull and others as ambassadors.
Couples says he has been an admirer of the brand, both from following the sport and Day’s headline-busting Masters kit in 2024.
Couples’ wife, Suzanne Hannemann, is also a fan. Both showed up to the premiere of "Happy Gilmore 2" decked in Malbon—with hand-picked Asics, of course— in an enviable show of date night couples’ dressing.
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“After that, I just kind of rallied behind it,” Couples said. “I thought, ‘what an opportunity.’ At my age, you know, I play maybe eight to ten tournaments, but to wear this clothing all over would be so much fun.”
Fans of Boom Boom who’ve grown accustomed to seeing him in his signature flowing Ashworth shirts and stylishly baggy sweaters, all the rage during his peak in the '90s, might see this partnership with a disruptive, upstart brand as a surprising departure. But Couples sees overlap between the Malbon brand and his personal knack for clothes that can take him from the course to dinners with friends and everywhere in between. He remembers pointing out Ashworth shirts in the gallery to his caddie back in the ’80s. Malbon’s omnipresence, on courses, events, and more, feels similar. Plus, the brand’s timeless edge and retro cool appeal to Couples, while Malbon, the company, bets it can endear itself to more golfers hailing from older generations.
Rather than being overly trendy or irrelevant to decorum, Couples sees Malbon as a “classy” brand championing a “classic look” that resonates across age groups, even appealing to the non-golfers of the world. But beyond aesthetics, Couples said it’s the fit and feel, with the personalized, meticulous attention to detail that has him especially excited. Basically, Malbon listens.
“Even in all those years wearing clothing, I never really told anyone how to design a shirt, what a shirt should really look like,” he said. “But, in all those years, I wanted to be fitted in the shirt cut a little differently. I haven’t even played a golf tournament in these clothes, and [Malbon is] fitting me every way that I asked. It’s a nice feeling.”
And with Malbon, Couples knows he won’t find himself on the range wearing the exact same polo as the other guys.
“I try to dress the best I can,” Couples said. “Sometimes, I’m very plain. I like a blue pair of pants with a white shirt. But it’s a lot of [Malbon’s] little touches that they do, the little idiosyncrasies, that make a white shirt actually look better than a white shirt.”
Couples doesn’t mind a bit of attention when it comes to his clothing—on and off the fairways. For example, earlier this month, Couples attended a volleyball tournament in LA with his stepson. He toted a Malbon duffel bag for the occasion.
“I swear to God, more people paid attention to that bag, whether it was the bellman carrying it down, or whatever,” Couples said with a laugh. “[Malbon] hasn’t missed. They know what the hell they’re doing.”
Couples said to expect a collaboration between Malbon and Asics down the line. While what he has planned for the PNC Championship may raise some eyebrows, Couples has a strong sense of what he can and cannot pull off. This includes baggy pants—or as he calls them, “cowboy pants”—which he admires on Day and has declared will be “in” this season. Just maybe not for Boom Boom.
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