« Travis Mathew Shows How To Build A Formidible Tour Staff »

What does it take to make a splash as a clothing company with big time PGA Tour aspirations?

Throwing around a bit of dough certainly wouldn't hurt, but throwing cash and sweet duds at the first hombre with a PGA Tour card to walk through your door isn't going to get it done.

Travis Mathew has been around for only three years, but is making big news in PGA Tour circles of late, creating significant buzz through social media channels to amp up speculation as to who their mystery man, or men as it were, signings would be.

At this point, travismathew.com is going to have to make more room on the staff page with proverbial cats escaping the Sunday bag now that Geoff Ogilvy, Bubba Watson, and Aaron Baddeley have all appeared on tour in the hip SoCal designs. The Travis Mathew collection of tour pros has been given a serious shot in the arm with these additions, giving the company front men that make the brand a very attractive commodity to the country club and green grass consumer. It is not a stretch to say that the Travis Mathew presence now begins to rival that of Nike, Adidas / Ashworth, and Peter Millar contingents to name just a few of the more prevalent suppliers.

It is difficult not to notice the similarities between Ogilvy, Watson, and Baddeley. Each player is under 35, each are certainly high profile guys, and each is tall and slim, lending them well to the trimmer Travis Mathew cuts.

It should be noted that the exception to the rule at Travis Mathew is a man of noted savior fair, Tommy Armour III. A curious choice at first, but Armour, being the seasoned vet, adds a certain maverick quality to the staff. Applause to Travis Mathew for being supremely aware that even the slightest hint of rebelliousness can add just the right amount of balance to one's attitude.

So how does a company like Travis Mathew get to this point in what seems like such a short amount of time? Certainly product design plays a significant role. However, while you and your design team may have worked diligently to create the most stylish and revolutionary golf apparel of all time, that alone it isn't going to be enough if you end up hanging them on the wrong sets of bones.

Your chosen men must reflect your brand, your ethos, your values, your attitude - be it bold, sophisticated, haute couture, or low brow. It is no coincidence that the successful brands pair themselves with appropriate representatives. Case in point, Polo Ralph Lauren's association with the likes of Tom Watson and Davis Love III, and the newly minted Polo man Webb Simpson. Even the unpredictable John Daly pairing with Loudmouth Golf. While Loudmouth is far from Chapeau Noir's cup of tea, the match is certainly consistent and works for both parties.

The bottom line is that Travis Mathew has taken their profile to new heights in 2010 not only with a fantastic range of modern design with trim cuts, but with a thoroughly appropriate staff that successfully reflects the company's relaxed Southern California attitude. Blend that attitude with the company's awareness of golf history and tradition, and the success begins to magical start taking care of itself.

In addition, it certainly doesn't hurt that each of the new Travis Mathew men have the ability to raise the company profile even higher each week they tee it up. Look no further than the first month of the PGA Tour season - Ogilvy wins at Kapalua and Bubba finishes T2 at the Hope.

If one takes into consideration where Travis Mathew was as a company three years ago, and compares that to where they are today, the arch is impressive. With the new tour staff additions in place and playing well, 2010 should prove big at TM.