A quiet apparel brand has an unexpected top-5 presence at the US Open.

Dunning Golf is an under-the-radar apparel company that specializes in the marriage between material technology and style. It’s not a brand that every golfer can honestly say they think about off the top of their head, and it’s usually reserved for your local country club pro shop.

However, thanks to Russell Henley, Dunning is being thrown into the spotlight.

I had a chance to visit Dunning last fall when I first started at GOLF. I’ve gotten to know their team a little bit, particularly Dunning Creative Director Omar Jermaine, who’s not only one of the most fun people I’ve ever been around, but also has a very unique ability to talk about material technology. One of the things I latched onto was this little marketing cube Omar has in his office with the word graphene on it. Graphene is a very exotic material that has also been used in some prototype golf shafts before, so it piqued my interest. At the PGA Show, I had my buddy Cordie Walker talk to Omar about this.

The use of graphene is just one example of how the Dunning team is truly differentiating itself as a material technology brand, not just another apparel brand. They’re also very specific about how they test the product. Two good friends of mine, Hannah Gregg and Fredrik Lindblom, have been Dunning ambassadors for several years now, and they were my first real introduction to the brand. They have spoken so highly of Dunning, and their advice to try out the Dunning pants and shorts was among the best I’ve ever gotten.

Signing an apparel deal is a big deal for professional golfers. Being comfortable on the golf course as an athlete can be a challenge, but that’s in Dunning’s DNA. They test their product on course with athletes. They fit the clothes using athletic models who can give feedback on their performance before they’re even tested in the elements, and they listen to their professional staff when given feedback.

If you look across Dunning’s line, you can see this athletic and technological inspiration everywhere. From their “stores within itself” rain gear to their micro-ventilated polo that reduces sweat, it’s very easy to feel comfortable on-course in Dunning gear. As a side note, they also do garment-specific sizing. This is key for somebody like me because I often find myself having to order different sizes from even the same brands. Polos are typically medium, and a quarter-zip would typically be large. With Dunning though, all my stuff is just a medium. Things that are meant to be layers are sized as such, and items that are meant to be against skin are sized as such. It’s a small detail, but it makes the buying process just that much easier.

With Russell Henley vaulting into the top five in the Official World Golf Rankings, Dunning has found themselves in a new spotlight. More pro shops are asking to check out the gear. The Dunning team continues to push the boundaries of material technology and players are starting to take notice. Russell himself was featured in a quick social media post the other day, and his general ethos is that he feels comfortable and unrestricted on the golf course. That’s a sentiment shared by other Tour pros Michael Kim and Michael Brennan.

Another important facet of Dunning is how casual the brand can be. The golf clothing is very minimally stated. It’s traditional, but it’s athletic. It’s professional, but not intimidating. They’ve got everything from your typical weekend warrior outfit to a cashmere sweater you can wear to a nice dinner, and it all looks great on anyone. There are no loud patterns to match your personality,and there are no crazy colors that take some liquid courage to wear on the golf course. There’s nothing that screams “look at me.” Dunning lets your golf and your attitude define their clothing. I like to call it “Athletic Sophistication.”

As Jermaine said to me, “You can stand out without being loud.”

Dunning Golf Player Fit 5-Pocket Golf Pant

Our Player Fit Woven Pant has repeatedly been identified as the best technical bottom in golf and now it’s available in an updated 5-Pocket styling. A detailed focus on fit, playability, and performance is what sets the Player Fit 5-Pocket Golf Pant apart from the rest.

Dunning also has a pretty unique tour staff on the PGA Tour, particularly with the contrasting personalities of Henley and Kim. Henley is almost what you would consider the stereotypical Dunning ambassador. A quieter guy who doesn’t make too much noise or ruffle feathers but looks good in traditional apparel and lets his golf do the talking. As he’s quietly snuck into the top five in the world, you can see him becoming more confident and expressive in victory. Henley’s personality is a classic example of a more traditional-style athlete who understands that his clothing is another piece of equipment; it doesn’t need to be a loud statement.

“Dunning has a long relationship with Russ, so we’ve really had a chance to watch him grow and level up, and what he’s done in the last year is incredible to watch. He’s a dedicated, locked-in kinda guy, and his game reflects it,” Jermaine said.

Michael Kim, on the other hand, has seemed to have overtaken Max Homa as the weekend-warrior’s favorite follow on X. He’s almost become a liaison for Tour players to the casual golfer. He regularly gives insights that feel like you’re talking to your buddies at your home course, and he lets his personality be the star of the show. On the first day of the 2026 US Open, he even made a fun crack at the fog delay.

Like Henley, he believes in a more classic approach to apparel, but he understands the need for apparel that will perform as he makes his way up the ranks of the PGA Tour. Kim has stated in social media videos that he likes not having to choose between a more traditional style and performance, and that Dunning can do both. He’s also been a big fan of Dunning’s hoodies, which have become a staple in my closet.

You can see me wearing a couple different hoodies in several of our YouTube videos, including my favorite for cooler fall temperatures, the Player Tech hoodie.

When asked about Kim, Jermaine expressed similar feelings about his candor and openness with his audience.

“Michael reminds us of the good in social media — to expand who and what you know, and not to be so serious all the time. He’s a unicorn, a player who’s unafraid to give you a window into his world as a professional athlete, with its ups and downs. His candor and his sense of humor are so open and relatable, he’s an easy follow and a player to root for because you know what he’s playing for.”

I haven’t yet taken a full dive into the world of apparel and soft goods, but it’s a natural extension of being an equipment geek. The clothing we wear on the course matters just as much as the golf ball we play or the shaft we put in our driver. The ability to feel comfortable, athletic and mobile on the golf course means everything. It’s very easy to shatter that confidence standing over the ball when you’re worried about the apparel you’re wearing. In my eyes, Dunning’s apparel checks all the boxes by doing something unique in the space: blending technology, comfort and classic style on the golf course.