Jason Day will once again be a headline-maker at Augusta National, but this time his Malbon Golf wardrobe has been tailored to fit the club’s aesthetic. Sports Illustrated reports that Day’s shirts, vests and the coat he will wear during Masters week for 2026 are inspired by the birds that populate Augusta National — including the red-headed woodpecker, orioles, cardinals, scarlet tanagers, eastern bluebirds, golden finch and blue jays. The selection also includes a jacket for the final day of practice rounds that is modeled on a birding jacket and features a dedicated pocket for binoculars.
Malbon’s co-owner Stephen Malbon told Sports Illustrated the collection draws on Indigenous symbolism. “It’s inspired by Native American beliefs. Each one of these birds has a different meaning,” he said, describing the creative intent behind the prints. The range will include quieter pieces as well as more eye-catching items such as the bird-print designs that are expected to be worn by Day and teammate Sungjae Im.
Augusta National has already intervened in aspects of the outfit, however. According to Sports Illustrated, Malbon’s original plan included matching bird-print trousers, but the club requested that Day wear a solid print on his pants instead. The change appears intended to avoid a repeat of the controversy that surrounded Day’s apparel at the 2024 Masters, when he wore a Malbon “Championship vest” emblazoned with “No.313” and the words “Malbon Golf Championship.” The vest, worn on the second day of the tournament, was later removed at the club’s request; Day said after the third round in 2024, “They asked me to take the vest off yesterday, the busy one. Respectfully, you do that because it’s all about the tournament here, and I understand that.”
Malbon and Augusta National have engaged in ongoing discussions about apparel at past events: Stephen Malbon confirmed there was “a back-and-forth” between the brand and the club ahead of the 2025 tournament to secure approval for what players would wear. The latest compromise — prominent bird-themed tops paired with subdued trousers — signals both sides trying to balance players’ commercial and personal expressions with Augusta’s tightly policed image.
Day is not the only player rocking Malbon at the Masters. Sungjae Im is slated to wear bird prints as part of the same collection, while veteran Fred Couples will keep to more subdued quarter-zip and solid options. The arrangement underlines Malbon’s rising presence on tour and the interest its designs generate, while also highlighting the limits imposed by one of golf’s most tradition-minded venues.
Augusta National’s dress guidance has long been part of the club’s effort to protect the tournament’s visual identity, and the negotiations over Malbon’s bird collection illustrate how that stewardship plays out in practice. For Day, the result should be an attention-grabbing — but approved — capsule that nods to the course’s fauna and to the brand’s bold aesthetic without clashing with the tournament’s rules.