Antigua Apparel
Encyclopedia
Antigua Group, Inc. is an American company based in the Phoenix, Arizona
market that specializes in the designing and marketing of men’s, women’s and children’s lifestyle apparel and sportswear, most notably in the golf
industry. In addition to golf, the company also serves the Licensed Sports, Corporate and Specialty Retail markets.
. A short time later, the first office/warehouse was leased and the company did business under the name Eagle Golf of Scottsdale. It was at this time that the first embroidery machine was purchased and the first sales representative hired to keep up with demand. After a vacation in the late seventies to the British West Indies island of Antigua
, Dooley renamed the company in 1979.
In a 1996 interview, Dooley, who prior to launching Antigua was a sales rep for another golf product line, cited his dissatisfaction with his former company’s delivery system as the reason to start his own company. "If I didn't deliver, I wanted it to be my fault, not someone else's," he said. "It's hard to build a customer base when you can't deliver on time, so it was very important to me to control the ability of the company to deliver or not deliver. It's very important to me to be very honest with a customer if we are unable to deliver ... 99 percent of the customers always will come back if you're honest with them.”
For the first two decades of Antigua, the company continued to grow and moved in and out of several facilities at this time. In 1982, Antigua moved into a 13555 square feet (1,259.3 m²) facility also located in Scottsdale and rebranded as Antigua Sportswear, as to more closely identify with the product. In 1992, the company once again changed its name to The Antigua Group and by 1998, it now occupied 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²). In October 2001, Antigua relocated to a new 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) facility in Peoria, Arizona
where all divisions are housed under one roof.
In 1997 Antigua became a wholly owned subsidiary of Antigua Enterprises, Inc. and in April 2003, the controlling interest of Antigua was sold to Ashley NA, LLC, a subsidiary of Sports Direct International.
of the United Kingdom. It was at this time that Ron McPherson, first employee of the company and recipient of the PGA of America’s
Ernie Sabayrac Award for contributions to the golf industry, was named President.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Antigua entered into the major licensed sports markets, starting with the NCAA. Antigua currently produces official merchandise for the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball available for sale at department stores, sporting goods outlets, sports specialty stores, team shops and concessionaires. Since then, the company is now represented throughout the United States and other parts of the world in the major markets including golf, licensed, corporate and general retail.
available to keep the wearer as dry as possible., Antigua apparel is tested often under the hottest conditions of the Arizona
desert to assure that it meets the highest standards of moisture wicking performance. Other attributes of this fabric include reducing body temperature during activity, increased air flow for the fabric to breathe and minimization of body and fabric cling.
, Nationwide Tour
, LPGA
and Duramed FUTURES Tour
, as well as the U.S. Ryder Cup
team. The following is a list of players that either currently or formerly have worn Antigua apparel on tour.
Craig Bowden
D. J. Brigman
Mark Brooks
Jim Carter
Billy Casper
Darren Clarke
Bruce Crampton
Jim Furyk
Troy Kelly Bob May
Billy Mayfair
Andrew McGee
Patrick Moore
Bob Murphy
Jin Park Scott Sterling Payne Stewart
Kevin Streelman
Steve Stricker
Richard Swift Jerod Turner
Grant Waite
Brittany Lang
Liselotte Neumann
Stacy Prammanasudh
Annika Sörenstam
Alison Walshe Wendy Ward
Allison Hanna Williams
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
market that specializes in the designing and marketing of men’s, women’s and children’s lifestyle apparel and sportswear, most notably in the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
industry. In addition to golf, the company also serves the Licensed Sports, Corporate and Specialty Retail markets.
History
The genesis of what would later become Antigua was founded by Tom Dooley, a Phoenix area veteran of the golf industry, in 1976 at a private residence (Dooley’s garage) in Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
. A short time later, the first office/warehouse was leased and the company did business under the name Eagle Golf of Scottsdale. It was at this time that the first embroidery machine was purchased and the first sales representative hired to keep up with demand. After a vacation in the late seventies to the British West Indies island of Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, Dooley renamed the company in 1979.
In a 1996 interview, Dooley, who prior to launching Antigua was a sales rep for another golf product line, cited his dissatisfaction with his former company’s delivery system as the reason to start his own company. "If I didn't deliver, I wanted it to be my fault, not someone else's," he said. "It's hard to build a customer base when you can't deliver on time, so it was very important to me to control the ability of the company to deliver or not deliver. It's very important to me to be very honest with a customer if we are unable to deliver ... 99 percent of the customers always will come back if you're honest with them.”
For the first two decades of Antigua, the company continued to grow and moved in and out of several facilities at this time. In 1982, Antigua moved into a 13555 square feet (1,259.3 m²) facility also located in Scottsdale and rebranded as Antigua Sportswear, as to more closely identify with the product. In 1992, the company once again changed its name to The Antigua Group and by 1998, it now occupied 90000 square feet (8,361.3 m²). In October 2001, Antigua relocated to a new 110000 square feet (10,219.3 m²) facility in Peoria, Arizona
Peoria, Arizona
Peoria is a city in Maricopa and Yavapai counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. Located primarily in Maricopa County, it is a major suburb of Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau releases, the population of the city is 154,065. Peoria is currently the sixth largest city in Arizona for land...
where all divisions are housed under one roof.
In 1997 Antigua became a wholly owned subsidiary of Antigua Enterprises, Inc. and in April 2003, the controlling interest of Antigua was sold to Ashley NA, LLC, a subsidiary of Sports Direct International.
Sports Direct
Sports Direct International plc is a British retailing group. Founded in 1982 by former county squash coach Mike Ashley, the company is now the UK's largest sporting retailer through a number of retail subsidiaries and sports equipment brands. Although now a publicly traded company on the London...
of the United Kingdom. It was at this time that Ron McPherson, first employee of the company and recipient of the PGA of America’s
Professional Golfers' Association of America
Founded in 1916, the Professional Golfers' Association of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and is made up of more than 28,000 men and women golf professional members...
Ernie Sabayrac Award for contributions to the golf industry, was named President.
Markets
Antigua began in business serving the golf industry. Antigua products can now be found at thousands of golf facilities, golf retailers and golf events. Antigua has displayed it’s line at 30 consecutive PGA Merchandise Shows and has been chosen as vendor partner for every Ryder Cup Match since 1991 and every PGA Championship since 1995. Antigua also produces licensed clothing for the PGA, Senior PGA and LPGA.In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Antigua entered into the major licensed sports markets, starting with the NCAA. Antigua currently produces official merchandise for the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball available for sale at department stores, sporting goods outlets, sports specialty stores, team shops and concessionaires. Since then, the company is now represented throughout the United States and other parts of the world in the major markets including golf, licensed, corporate and general retail.
Technology
In many Antigua products a technology known as Desert Dry fabric is utilized. Desert Dry is a moisture wicking technology created exclusively for Antigua to absorb and wick moisture quickly and evenly to achieve the most efficient evaporationEvaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
available to keep the wearer as dry as possible., Antigua apparel is tested often under the hottest conditions of the Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
desert to assure that it meets the highest standards of moisture wicking performance. Other attributes of this fabric include reducing body temperature during activity, increased air flow for the fabric to breathe and minimization of body and fabric cling.
Players
With beginnings rooted in the golf industry, Antigua has a rich tradition of outfitting many golfers on the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
, LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
and Duramed FUTURES Tour
FUTURES Tour
The LPGA Futures Tour, previously styled in uppercase as FUTURES Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed FUTURES Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour...
, as well as the U.S. Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
team. The following is a list of players that either currently or formerly have worn Antigua apparel on tour.
Men
Notah Begay IIINotah Begay III
Notah Ryan Begay III is an American professional golfer. He is the only full-blooded American Indian golfer on the PGA Tour. He is currently an analyst with the Golf Channel.-Amateur career:...
Craig Bowden
Craig Bowden
Craig David Bowden is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Bowden has gone back and forth between the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour during his career. He is currently a member of the PGA Tour after finishing in the top 25 on the 2009...
D. J. Brigman
D. J. Brigman
David Franklin "D. J." Brigman, Jr. is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour....
Mark Brooks
Mark Brooks (golfer)
Mark David Brooks is an American professional golfer.Brooks was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a three-time All-American as a member of the golf team. He turned professional in 1983.Brooks has seven wins on the PGA Tour, including one major,...
Jim Carter
Jim Carter (golfer)
Jim Laver Carter is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Carter was born in Spring Lake, North Carolina. He attended Arizona State University in Tempe and was a distinguished member of the golf team – a two-time first-team All-American and an...
Billy Casper
Billy Casper
William Earl Casper, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was one of the most prolific tournament winners on the PGA Tour from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.-Early years:...
Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
Bruce Crampton
Bruce Crampton
Bruce Crampton is an Australian professional golfer.Crampton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and attended Kogarah High School from 1948-1950. He turned professional in 1953....
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk
James Michael Furyk is an American professional golfer, 2010 FedEx Cup champion, and 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year. He has won one major championship, the 2003 U.S. Open. Furyk is known for consistently playing at the top level and for a visibly unconventional, looping golf swing...
Troy Kelly Bob May
Bob May (golfer)
Robert Anthony May is an American professional golfer.May was born in Lynwood, California. He attended Oklahoma State University and was a member of the 1991 U.S. Walker Cup team before turning professional later that year....
Billy Mayfair
Billy Mayfair
William Fred Mayfair is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour .-Early years and amateur career:Mayfair was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Before his fifteenth birthday, he had won a number of junior golf tournaments. In 1981, he was on the cover of Boys' Life magazine as "golf's...
Andrew McGee
Andrew McGee
Andrew McGee is the former guitarist for God Lives Underwater. He currently plays guitar in Wired All Wrong.- References :...
Patrick Moore
Patrick Moore (golfer)
Patrick Joseph Moore is an American professional golfer.Moore was born in Austin, Minnesota. He is currently a member of the Nationwide Tour. He has struggled with injuries for most of his career...
Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy (golfer)
Robert Joseph Murphy, Jr. is an American professional golfer who was formerly a member of the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour. Murphy has won 21 tournaments as a professional.-Early years:...
Jin Park Scott Sterling Payne Stewart
Payne Stewart
William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....
Kevin Streelman
Kevin Streelman
Kevin Streelman is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Streelman was born in Winfield, Illinois. A graduate of Wheaton Warrenville South High School in 1997 and Duke University in 2001, Streelman turned professional in 2003...
Steve Stricker
Steve Stricker
Steven Stricker is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won 11 tournaments on the PGA Tour including the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and two FedEx Cup playoff events. His most successful season on tour came in 2009, when he had three tournament victories...
Richard Swift Jerod Turner
Jerod Turner
Jerod A. Turner is an American professional golfer.Turner was born in Oak Harbor, Washington. He turned professional in 2000 and played on mini-tours until qualifying for the 2009 Nationwide Tour....
Grant Waite
Grant Waite
Grant Osten Waite is a New Zealand professional golfer.Waite was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand and is now a U.S. citizen. He has one PGA Tour victory, the Kemper Open in 1993, and finished second to Tiger Woods at the 2000 Bell Canadian Open.Waite won the New Zealand Open and the Trafalgar...
Women
Pat Bradley Dorothy DelasinDorothy Delasin
Dorothy Delasin is a Filipino-American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour.Delasin was born in Lubbock, Texas and grew up in San Francisco, California. She had dual American and Filipino citizenship but gave it up sometime before 1999. She had a strong amateur career, wining both the U.S. Girls'...
Brittany Lang
Brittany Lang
Brittany Lang is an American professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:Born in Richmond, Virginia and raised in McKinney, Texas, Lang had a decorated amateur career. She won eight American Junior Golf Association events and was a two-time First-Team Polo Golf Junior...
Liselotte Neumann
Liselotte Neumann
Liselotte Maria "Lotta" Neumann is a Swedish professional golfer. She currently plays primarily on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:...
Stacy Prammanasudh
Stacy Prammanasudh
Stacy Prammanasudh is a Thai American golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour.-Amateur career:Stacy was born in Enid, Oklahoma to an American mother and a native Thai father who immigrated to the United States from Thailand...
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish-American professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer...
Alison Walshe Wendy Ward
Wendy Ward
Wendy Ward is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour.-Early life, education and amateur career:Ward was born in San Antonio, Texas....
Allison Hanna Williams