Under Armour Creates New Golf Hat As Interest in the Sport Heats Up
Jordan Spieth will debut the UA StealthForm at The Masters later this week.
When Jordan Spieth tees up at The Masters next week in Augusta, Ga., he'll be sporting the latest innovation from Under Armour: a UA StealthForm hat.
The hat, which boasts a number of technical bells and whistles, is part of the Baltimore-based brand's focus on the sport, which continues to rise in popularity, especially among young people and females.
According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, participation in golf, both onand off-course, increased 3.9 percent in 2023, the most recent figures available, and 7.1 percent over the past three years.
Under Armour has been popular with players seeking stylish performance golfwear, and there are several launches coming that should heighten interest. They include the first collection later this year from new creative director John Varvatos, which will be golf-related, as well as more golf product under its Curry brand with NBA star — and golf enthusiast — Stephen Curry.
As then-chief executive officer Stephanie Linnartz said last May during an earnings call: “Golf is a business that I believe we have underserved as of late, and it is an area where we have a right to win, where product performance and style win the day.”
In 2023, the UA Golf division grew 23 percent and its footwear has been especially popular. Sales in that category have doubled since 2022, led by the UA Phantom and Drive Golf series.
The women's golf footwear category is expected to jump 53 percent this year and Under Armour golf shoes are the numberone brand in the U.K. in the off-course channel and number two overall.
Kyle Blakely, senior vice president and head of innovation for Under Armour, said the company continues to work on offering innovative solutions to its customers in all golf categories. When looking at hats, it's obvious that they leave red spots on the skin after they've been worn for a while and the company drilled down to address that issue and others.
He said Under Armour applied to the hat what it learned about molding and shaping when creating its popular sport masks during the pandemic.
The UA StealthForm offers an anatomically molded seamless construction to provide a custom fit, is breathable, wicking, washable and light. It features a seamless comfort sweatband, an Iso-Chill interior to feel cool, laser perforations and an adjustable back closure. It's also completely foldable and can be smashed in a ball and return to its original shape.
“From course to casual, the UA StealthForm is the most comfortable hat that I have ever worn,” said Spieth. “I knew I had to debut it this golf season when I first tried it on. The fit is totally secure in all the right spots, and is performance-ready with seamless style.”
Blakely said the approach to the creation of the StealthForm is part of a larger mission at Under Armour, which is to create golfwear that performs from a technical perspective but also looks good and is comfortable.
The upcoming collection from Varvatos will use “amazing new textiles,” he said, and is expected to be a “great entry for people” who may not spend a lot of time on the links but instead are looking for fashionable, functional clothes they can wear every day.
Under Armour is also planning a marketing campaign around golf for Mother's Day next month, a company spokesperson said.
The StealthForm will launch on Thursday and will retail for $45. It will be available in black, khaki and navy.