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Justin Thomas looked the part in the first round of the British Open thanks to an impressive score of 67, and also due to his outfit of a navy blue cardigan and matching tie. The emerging 24-year-old star raised eyebrows on the course at Royal Birkdale with an unusual ensemble for a golfer. "It feels good. It's nice to have people talking about that. Obviously I knew it was going to get a lot of publicity out there," said Thomas, the world number 13. "But I didn't come here to dress well. I came here to try to play some good golf. And I guess that just happened." He added: "This is a golf shirt, so it's not like it's uncomfortable. And obviously it's not tight."

As a brand, Puma is relatively new on the global golfing scene, having debuted its first products a mere four years ago.

The giant sports maker, known more for its ties with the football (soccer) world than golf, is making a bold and serious play for the world golfing market following its acquisition of Cobra Golf from Fortune Brands earlier this year.

Puma has, however, won many fans, particularly with younger generations of women golfers who align themselves with Puma's chic, young and funky image.

Shrewd marketing has also played a major role in the brand's rapid ascent. Puma signed 24-year-old Ricky Fowler and, more recently, 15-year-old Alexis Thompson as brand evangelists. In the huge Japanese market, the company has signed Hiroyuki...