Every time a major championship rolls around, Jason Day shows up with his golf bag and a new fashion statement. After joining Malbon Golf ahead of the 2024 season, the Australian has had his outfits pulled during rounds at Augusta National, sent his clothing plans to Masters officials for approval, and sparked comparisons ranging from a “dental hygienist fit” at one PGA Championship to a “snow leopard” at The Open. The 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club promised more of the same.

Even before Day played a single shot, a practice-round photo of him in green patterned shorts, called swim trunks online, had already reached 26,600 views and sparked golf’s most heated fashion debate. NUCLR GOLF posted the photo on May 13 with a caption that said it all: “Jason Day is sporting swim trunks at Aronimink and looks ready for a long walk on the beach.” In the photo, Day stands with his back to the camera, wearing green camouflage-patterned shorts, a black Malbon jacket, a white visor, white socks, and white golf shoes. The outfit stood out against the traditional setting.

Malbon Golf, founded by Stephen and Erica Malbon in Los Angeles in 2017, has positioned itself as a clear departure from golf’s traditional image. The brand’s focus on oversized fits and bold graphics is a deliberate move away from the standard polo-and-chinos approach. Jason Day ended his seven-year partnership with Nike to become Malbon’s first PGA Tour ambassador, taking on a direct role in shaping the line.

 

“There have been times that I’d be standing on the first tee and look over to see another golfer in essentially the same outfit as me.”

The partnership with Malbon addressed the issue of uniformity, but it has also introduced new questions about the boundaries of acceptable attire in professional golf. Each tournament now serves as a test case for how far these changes can go.

The backlash is now well established. At the 2024 Masters, CBS’s Verne Lundquist called Day’s vest the worst outfit he had seen in over four decades at Augusta. In 2025, a sweatsuit at Pebble Beach led to public questioning from broadcaster Trevor Immelman. By 2026, Augusta National had intervened for the third year in a row, instructing Day to replace his planned bird-print pants with solid ones. The club’s repeated involvement signals a clear stance on dress codes, and Day’s response has remained unchanged.

“It’s good. I understand. We’re here for the tournament.”

At Aronimink, the response was predictable. The precedent was set in 2024 at Valhalla, when Day’s all-green outfit drew comparisons to dental scrubs. Two years later, similar criticism followed when he wore swim trunks at a major in Pennsylvania. The pattern is now established: unconventional attire continues to draw institutional and public scrutiny, regardless of location.

Jason Day’s Aronimink beachwear leaves fans unimpressed

Several fans kept their criticism warm rather than sharp, affectionate toward the man but resistant to the brand.

“Great Guy, but dude needs to drop Malbon, he looks like an idiot ha,” said one fan. “I can’t get on board with the Malbon look. Maybe I’m just old.”

“Let me be really real… love Jason Day… Hate all that out of whack melbon golf garbage and J.Lindberg isn’t much better. These guys have the fashion sense of a 10 year old! SMH”

The sentiment was consistent across the thread: fans who have followed Day’s career since his 2015 PGA Championship win at Whistling Straits find themselves separating the golfer from the brand, rooting for one while rejecting the other.

The photo’s location added its own punchline, with several fans quick to note that the outfit belonged closer to the shore.

“He about to skip the tournament and go to the Jersey Shore this weekend”

“About 2 hours away from OC by car. Long walk ahead!”

Aronimink Golf Club last hosted a major in 1962, when Gary Player lifted the Wanamaker Trophy. The venue’s history and traditional layout made the beach-adjacent outfit land harder than it might have elsewhere.

One comment skipped the geography entirely and went straight to the verdict.

“he’s on the wrong tour”

It was the shortest comment in the thread. It was also the one that traveled furthest.

The argument inside golf has never been purely about aesthetics. Supporters of Day’s Malbon partnership point to the sport’s image problem with younger audiences, framing a former world No. 1 in camouflage shorts at a major as exactly the kind of signal the game needs. Critics see the same image and read disrespect for the occasion. That argument will run as long as Malbon keeps sending him scripting, and as long as major venues keep pushing back. Neither side shows any sign of stopping.

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