Jason Day performed well at the 2026 Masters with a T12 finish. However, his performance was not the talk among fans during the first major of the season; it might not be at the U.S. Open 2026, either. At Augusta National, fans are more interested in the outfit the Australian professional wore during the practice round, and the same is the case at Shinnecock Hills.

An X post by Golf.com shows the 13-time PGA Tour winner practicing on the range at Shinnecock Hills. Day was in a T-shirt with multicolored patches in blue, gray, and white; a white cap; above-knee white shorts; and white shoes. The 38-year-old wears Malbon Golf outfits for PGA Tour events. He signed a deal with the apparel brand and announced it in January 2024 via an X post.

Day declined a Nike deal reportedly worth around $100 million to sign with Malbon Golf. Since then, he has worn the outfits on numerous occasions, putting him in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. For instance, during the 2024 Masters, he wore baggy navy-blue parachute pants and a multi-colored sweater vest. The vest had “No. 313. Malbon Golf Championship” written on it in large block letters. Unfortunately, Augusta National officials asked him to remove it mid-round in Round 2. Day respectfully complied with the request.

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Then, at the 2025 Farmers Insurance Open, he wore a Malbon windbreaker jacket with a large logo on the back. Before Round 3, PGA Tour officials asked him to tape over the Malbon logo. The reason was that the outfit violated logo size regulations. As a result, Jason Day had to remove his jacket and play the third round in a short-sleeved polo he was wearing underneath.

The 2025 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the 2025 Genesis Invitational, the 2025 U.S. Open, the 2025 Open Championship, and other events had similar stories. Either the fans didn’t like the outfit, or the officials asked for it to be removed right away. In fact, Augusta National officials asked Day and Malbon Golf to have all four days’ outfits pre-approved to avoid any issues later.

However, Day doesn’t mind it in the slightest. He was bored of looking the same as every other golfer on the course.

“There’s nothing worse than when you’re playing golf and you put a sweater on or something like that and it just feels so restrictive. You’re restricting your swing,” said Day in 2024 after debuting his new look in a Malbon outfit.

By this time, you might expect that at every major, Day will steal the spotlight. It has almost become a ritual of golf fashion geeks to wait for the Aussie to launch his new outfit and ruffle a few feathers. No surprise, then, that Shinnecock outfit has reignited the conversation surrounding his partnership with Malbon Golf.

Fans roast Jason Day’s latest Malbon look at the U.S. Open 2026

One fan questioned sponsorship obligations: “Proves pro golfers do care about money ….this is worse than the puffy shirt!” The fan asked whether the increase in unconventional looks was because of a partnership with Malbon Golf. The apparel brand has been focusing on a streetwear-inspired approach to golf fashion. Jason Day has become the face of this approach. The partnership has produced several viral wardrobe moments over the past two years.

Another user aimed at the deal itself: “Makes you wonder how bankrupt was he when he signed that deal? 🤷🏼” After turning pro in 2006 and joining the PGA Tour in 2008, Day has made $66,692,017 in official career earnings. One would think it wasn’t just for money that Day was forced into signing a deal. But the fan clearly thought otherwise.

“If Sopranos played golf,” one fan wrote, alluding to the famous crime drama. This comparison also reflected the constant criticism of Day’s fashion choices.

One fan even brought the deal he rejected into the picture: “All he’s missing is some Nike Elite socks.” Nike Elite socks are an iconic accessory in basketball and sneaker culture.

While many fans were saying different things, one of them kept it very short. Giving a straightforward answer to Golf.com’s question of how his wardrobe looked, one person wrote, “Redneck.” You might be hard-pressed to find a redneck dressed like Day, but the commentator perhaps took a sarcastic dig.

Nevertheless, this reaction storm follows a series of previous controversies surrounding Jason Day’s apparel. This includes his widely discussed Masters outfits, a gray sweatsuit at Pebble Beach, and patriotic-themed looks that drew online criticism.