Tennis fans and sports business observers are buzzing after Andy Murray made a surprising move into the world of golf fashion, becoming an investor in the British luxury golf apparel company Manors Golf.
The former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion has joined a growing group of high-profile investors backing the London-based brand as it looks to expand globally. The investment was reportedly made through the venture capital firm Redrice Ventures, which helped the company secure around £3 million in new funding to accelerate growth and strengthen its presence in international markets.
Sir Andy Murray isn’t just playing a lot of golf in his retirement from professional tennis, he’s keeping a close eye on the fashion industry, too.
According to The Times, the former Wimbledon champion has become the latest celebrity to invest in luxury UK golf brand Manors.
Others backing the London-based company include former Arsenal and England footballer Theo Walcott, actor Nicholas Hoult, and TV personalities Ant and Dec.
Murray, 38, is an associate partner of Redrice Ventures, which has led Manors’ latest funding round. The startup, founded in 2019, plans to leverage the £3 million it has raised from investors to “fuel its next phase of international expansion” into the US.
The report claims that Manors first pitched to Redrice last year and said Murray “immediately bought into the passion and vision” of the founders Jojo Regan, Luke Davies and Nick Watts.
“The product is great, but on its own it’s not enough,” the Scot said. “They’ve gone beyond that and created something really special, and I truly believe they can escalate from here to build a really successful business long-term.”
In February, Manors announced a partnership with popular internet personality Dan Rapaport. It’s now the official apparel outfitter of Dan on Golf, the American’s brand.
Most of Manors’ sales come through its website, but its clothes, shoes and accessories can also be bought in Harrods and Selfridges. Some polo shirts sell for as much as £110, while some jackets are available for £300.
“We’ve grown deliberately, building a brand that genuinely resonates culturally while staying relentlessly focused on the fundamentals,” Regan, the managing director of Manors, said.
“This investment allows us to scale with intent and continue pushing golf forward, on and off the course.”
Murray, meanwhile, is teeing it up in the prestigious Sunningdale Foursomes event this week, alongside DP World Tour winner Eddie Pepperell.
Pepperell revealed the pair’s plans on an episode of The Chipping Forecast podcast in November.
“I thought, I’ve got this nice idea,” he said. “I’m going to text him now that I’ve got his number and ask him if he wants to play the Sunningdale Foursomes with me.
“And he responded, ‘100 per cent, that would be brilliant.’ So, I entered us, put a little bio in – ‘multiple grand slam major tennis champion, DP World Tour player’ – and hopefully we [will] be accepted.
“In fact, his handicap just met the criteria by chance, and this is genuine, 1.4. So, he’s just eligible by handicap, and me too.
“We shall hopefully give it a go, and I think it would be a really fun thing to do.”
