‘Sweatergate’ landed this couple at the heart of a social media firestorm. Here’s why they welcomed it

Lifestyle brand Malbon Golf is looking to bring a new generation to the game — and it’s attracted the attention of Coca-Cola, Nike and Jimmy Choo.

It was a quiet April morning in Augusta, Georgia, when Stephen and Erica Malbon woke up. Then they checked their phones. The couple’s lifestyle brand, Malbon Golf, had been swept into a social media storm by an eye-catching Masters outfit donned by ambassador and former world No. 1 Jason Day. Battle lines were drawn: those who deemed the Australian’s sleeveless vest and baggy pants an affront to the storied tournament — dubbed “a tradition unlike any other” — versus those who welcomed the look as a sorely needed injection of flair into the sport’s wardrobe. And at the center of the “sweatergate” debate were the Malbons — exactly where they always planned to be. It started with not one, but two “I do’s.” It was 2008 when Erica, co-founder of boutique spa and massage parlor The Now, was told by a friend that there was someone moving to Los Angeles that she should meet.