Back in July 2024, Tiger Woods was out on the greens at Royal Troon for The Open. And did he play up to his legendary standard? Unfortunately, no. Woods struggled through rounds of 79 and 77, missing the cut. Since then, he’s stayed out of the competitive spotlight, though his ‘other’ work has made headlines, whether through the WWT Championship course he designed or the latest releases from his apparel brand, Sun Day Red.

Still, his loyal fans are holding out hope for his comeback. The season is winding down, and only a few events are left on the calendar. Woods won’t be playing in any of the official Tour events, as he only eyed majors this year. But theories of him competing in the Hero World Challenge, an event he proudly hosts in the Bahamas, are there. More so after the latest update centered around SDR.

Woods has left 3 free spots in the field, and to display SDR’s shoes, he might just play at Albany. Shoes? You must be wondering, Sun Day Red does not have shoes. They don’t as of now, but from December 4th, 2024, they will. The brand announced that they will be launching the “most high-performance classic golf shoe” next month. Guess no more FootJoys for Woods.

The 2024 Hero World Challenge is scheduled from December 5 to 8, 2024, a day after the launch. Coincidence or just a perfect timeline? The world would be excited to see Woods sport the new shoes. Woods has chosen HWC plenty of times before to make a professional comeback. Think of 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, and the latest being 2023. So, this year could be the same as well. Woods underwent his sixth back surgery in September and is recovering, but it’s clear that rest is essential to getting back to form.

Tiger Woods has never shied away from showing his resilience towards the sport that has given him so much. At The Open, he said, “I’d like to have played more, but I just wanted to make sure that I was able to play the major championships this year. I got a lot of time off to get better, to be better physically, which has been the case all year.” He will now be even better after the surgery and probably will show a better performance at the Hero World Challenge and PNC Championship to end the season well. 

The brand also launched a female apparel collection. Sun Day Red has been pretty quick with the new launches. Is it because they now face competition from a new brand that a LET golfer, Paris Hilinski, was seen wearing? Could be.

Golf world to see a clash between Tiger Woods’s SDR and its competitor

Woods’ apparel brand has not always been a fan favorite, facing criticism for its high prices and average quality. And as if the challenge wasn’t big enough, SDR now has some stiff competition: “Off White“ is set to launch its apparel on December 5, 2024, in Miami, with a bold “All in One” tagline that feels like a direct message to its rivals, including Sun Day Red. The brand is not new, as it has been in the fashion apparel business since 2014, but golf attire is a new territory for them.

Adding to the stakes, Off White was recently acquired by powerhouse BlueStar Alliance, a company worth $8.5 billion. So it’s fair to say that SDR isn’t the only one making moves. To keep up, SDR is also planning a December shoe launch. Smart move? Sure, it keeps them in the game, but can they win fans over this time? It remains to be seen.