Taylormade pros to use special hats & bags at US Open
BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2003 US Open | General | 31 May 2003
TaylorMade Tour Staff professionals participating at this year’s United States Open at Olympia Fields will each wear a special edition hat and use a special edition staff bag. Both items feature a felt patch onto which is embroidered a distinctive icon inspired by the US Open, designed by TaylorMade’s visual marketing department.
The focal point of this icon is a white, winged star set against a shield. The numeral “8624” — an arbitrary figure used as a design element to give the icon the look and feel of an attendee badge — is set in the star’s center. The upper half of the shield features a blue background and “75 years” in black lettering; superimposed over the top of that in white lettering is “Summer 2003.” The lower half of the shield features vertical red and white stripes; superimposed over that is a black TaylorMade logo.
“We wanted our distinctive icon to incorporate design elements reflective of the United States, since the US Open tournament is our national championship,” says Craig Barez, creative director for TaylorMade-adidas Golf, "hence, the colors, the stripes, and the white star. The wings on the star are meant to convey a feeling of freedom and upward motion. We also felt it was important to include a nod to Olympia Fields, which is why we incorporated “75 years” into the design, because the last time the club hosted the US Open was 75 years ago, in 1928."
Hats, which are available to the public in limited quantities through TaylorMade’s retail partners, are offered in three colors — red, white and blue — with the icon embroidered onto a patch sewn on the back. These hats also include a woven tab on the back that reads “J.F. 1928,” an allusion to Johnny Farrell, winner that year.
TaylorMade’s special edition staff bags are red, white and blue and include TaylorMade’s distinctive icon embroidered onto a large patch sewn onto the front. Two bags have been manufactured for each participating TaylorMade Tour Staff member, who will keep the bag that he uses in the tournament, and autograph the other. The autographed bags will be auctioned, with the proceeds donated to a charity to be named. Players using TaylorMade’s special edition bags and wearing the hats at Olympia Fields will include Fred Couples, Mike Weir, Darren Clarke, Rich Beem, K.J. Choi, Sergio Garcia, Tom Lehman, Justin Rose, Retief Goosen, Peter Lonard and Kenny Perry.
“These distinctive hats and bags and the unique icon inspired by the US Open that they bear is another authentic expression of TaylorMade’s knowledge and love of the game,” says Sean Toulon, vice president, global product and brand creation. “We care about the history and heritage of golf, plain and simple, and this is a way for us to demonstrate that.”
