AHEAD, Nicklaus Companies Unveil Play Yellow Styles to Support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

(New Bedford, Mass.) — Building on the resounding success of the inaugural Play Yellow campaign, AHEAD, the golf industry's leader in quality and creative headwear, and longtime partner Nicklaus Companies, will launch the 2020 Play Yellow headwear campaign coinciding with this year’s Honda Classic (February 24 to March 1).  

The assortment will include a new, limited edition Play Yellow performance cap for which AHEAD collaborated with Jack Nicklaus to design. The hats, featuring the iconic Golden Bear logo and signature, as well as the Play Yellow logo, will be available for purchase at several PGA Tour events, selected Nicklaus courses, and online.  A portion of every sale will be donated to support Jack and Barbara Nicklaus's efforts helping pediatric care nationwide through the work of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.  

"There was such an overwhelmingly positive response the inaugural year of Play Yellow headwear that we certainly wanted to continue to support this campaign,” said Anne Broholm, CEO of AHEAD, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2020.  “We wholeheartedly support Jack and Barbara’s passion for helping children. The Play Yellow campaign has inspired thousands and we are honored to play a role in its success.”

The inspiration for Play Yellow stems from the yellow shirts Jack often wore in the final round of tournaments in honor of Craig Smith, the son of a close Ohio family friend who was battling a rare bone cancer. Craig passed away in 1971 at the age of 13. Fifteen years later, on the morning of the 1986 Masters, Jack, at age 46, once again wore a yellow shirt, playing one of golf history’s most iconic rounds and winning his record sixth Green Jacket.

"Barbara and I are grateful to the team at AHEAD for joining us, the PGA TOUR, and many others in the Play Yellow effort to help make a difference in the lives of children, through Children's Miracle Network Hospitals," Nicklaus said. "Like us, AHEAD cares about giving back to children and families in need. They are not simply the best headwear company in golf, they are an organization of people with big hearts. Hats off to AHEAD!"

Barbara and Jack have a long history and close ties to a number of CMN Hospitals, most notably Nationwide Children’s Hospital in their hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide has benefited Nationwide Children’s Hospital since its inception in 1976, and it was The Honda Classic’s move to Palm Beach County near their home base that inspired the Nicklauses’ to create the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in 2004.

For additional information about Play Yellow headwear and the special Jack Nicklaus collection, access the web site at www.aheadshopusa.com.  For more information on the Nicklaus Companies, access www.nicklaus.com.  

More details about Play Yellow can be found at PlayYellow.org. Follow the cause at Instagram.com/playyellow4kids, Twitter.com/playyellow4kids and #PlayYellow.