Nearly four decades after founding what would become one of the most successful golf apparel brands of all time, John Ashworth has returned to the fold as Ashworth Golf tries to recapture its glory days in the burgeoning post-COVID apparel market. Ashworth co-founded the company in the late 1980s as a California cool alternative to polyester-driven men’s golfwear, introducing a more generously sized cotton polo that set a new design standard. He parted ways with his self-titled brand a decade later to pursue other opportunities in and around the golf business before returning late last year as creative director. “It feels natural, where I’m supposed to be at this point in the journey,” said Ashworth, a California native and third-generation golfer. “Sure, it’s nice ‘having been there, done that’ before. Even though it was so many years ago, there’s a really strong foundation and heritage to build on with a specific DNA to tap into.” Ashworth’s return was the final piece in a push to get the executive team back together after the compa...