[Golf Topic] Golf, Baseball, and Ice Hockey Equipment Companies Begin Mask Production

Golf equipment company Seamus Golf has temporarily closed its website to produce masks. Photo by Seamus Golf website

[Asia Economy Reporter Nowrae Noh] ○…American professional sports equipment companies have taken measures to prevent the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Akbar Christie, founder and CEO of Seamus Golf, a golf equipment manufacturer, stated on the 27th (Korean time), "Instead of our signature products such as handmade head covers, we are producing medical masks to supply to medical staff fighting against COVID-19." He added, "We heard reports that masks are in short supply at medical sites, and we will do everything we can to stop this terrible situation as soon as possible."

Seamus Golf is a company that produces various golf accessories including premium handmade head covers, golf bags, and forged ball markers. Their website selling golf equipment will be closed for the time being. They informed their customers via email that "we will temporarily stop producing golf equipment and focus on mask production." Fanatics, a company that manufactures uniforms for all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, also decided to produce masks and gowns instead of uniforms.

Fanatics plans to produce 1 million masks and 1 million medical gowns each, which are in short supply even within the United States, and donate them to hospitals and emergency management personnel in Pennsylvania. They also plan to supply New York and New Jersey. Bauer, a company that manufactures ice hockey equipment, has also stopped production and is making medical supplies. They are modifying the face shields worn by players for medical use and delivering them to doctors and nurses.