Austin clothing brand represented at Masters
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Stephan Jaeger in Criquet clothing at Butler Pitch & Putt. Photo: Courtesy of Criquet
Austin-based clothing company Criquet, known for vintage-inspired golf and athleisure wear, will be represented in the Masters Tournament, which kicks off Thursday in Augusta, Georgia.
Why it matters: Players in the prestigious golf tournament are usually decked out in brands like Nike and Callaway, but Criquet-sponsored Stephan Jaeger's recent qualifying win in Houston puts the Austin clothing brand on the national stage.
Catch up quick: Co-founders Billy Nachman and Hobson Brown launched Criquet in 2010 and now employ roughly two dozen workers, according to Nachman.
- "The company we've built is profitable, and it's growing," Nachman tells Axios.
- Criquet previously had a retail location at South First, which closed when their lease expired in 2020. They're searching for a new location to set up a brick-and-mortar store, according to Nachman.
- Customers can purchase Criquet products online, in Butler Pitch and Putt's amateur shop, and at various retail stores around town.
Zoom in: Nachman said the brand doesn't typically sponsor professional athletes, but Jaeger's agent reached out about five years ago and expressed interest.
- "We've always been more of a lifestyle brand than a golf brand," he said. "We weren't trying to compete in the performance golf space."
- In recent years, Criquet has developed a performance collection that can meet the needs of a professional golfer.
How it works: Nachman has never told Jaeger what to wear, but this time around they put together a presentation with different styling options for the Masters.
- "We have shirts that fall into that Masters color story of green, yellow and pinks," he said, adding that he left it up to Jaeger to decide when to wear each look.
- And Criquet isn't entirely new to Augusta. Two-time Masters winner and Austin native Ben Crenshaw wore Criquet gear to the Masters' legendary Par 3 Contest, which precedes the main event each year.
What we're watching: Former UT golfer and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler enters the tournament as the betting favorite, per ESPN. Plus, Tiger Woods will make his 26th appearance in the Masters as he continues to heal from ankle and leg injuries.
- Jaeger tees off Thursday at 7:24am Central in the first round and 10:30am in the second round. The tournament concludes Sunday.
The bottom line: Jaeger is "just a good guy, and for us and our customer, it's just fun to have someone to root for," Nachman said.