A series of eye-catching moments have been spotted on the world golf tour circuit recently. At last month's LIV Golf Singapore event, Lee Tae-hoon finished runner-up after a playoff battle with Bryson DeChambeau, and the fact that his apparel was a Korean brand drew attention. Around the same time, Tommy Fleetwood, the 2024 PGA Tour FedExCup champion, competed on the PGA Tour wearing the same brand, generating buzz. Fleetwood notably wore the clothing without any sponsorship deal.
The brand is Mad Catos, a Korean golf apparel label launched in 2023. What is remarkable is that players of various generations competing around the world are wearing the brand — including Yang Yong-eun, who is active on the PGA Tour Champions senior circuit, Shin Ji-ae on the Japan LPGA (JLPGA) Tour, Yoo Hae-ran and Hwang Yu-min on the LPGA Tour, Lee Tae-hoon on LIV Golf, Lee Seung-taek on the PGA Tour, and Lee Jung-hwan on the DP World Tour. The lineup, built in a short period of time, reflects the direction Mad Catos is pursuing.
The message Mad Catos puts forward is simple: "I'm mad about golf — I am Mad Catos." The brand focuses on the stories of people who are immersed in golf, rather than scores or rankings. What makes this interesting is that the message does not stop with the players. It has broader appeal in that amateur golfers watching the broadcasts can also relate by projecting their own play onto the message.
Meanwhile, Mad Catos will open its first flagship store on Dosan-daero in Apgujeong on the 2nd of next month and will operate a pop-up store at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul for three months starting on the 8th. Attention is on how the brand experience built on tour will translate into the offline retail space.