No one, not even Tiger Woods, can tell you how he will perform in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.

But Doug Reed, the director of apparel at Nike Golf, can tell you today what shirts Woods will be wearing at the 2008 U.S.Open.

That's because Nike scripts every outfit Woods will wear at golf's major championships and it does so at least a year ahead of time.

The process of scripting the game's No. 1 player at golf's most high profile events was started by Nike not long after Woods signed his first deal with the company in 1997.

Nike quickly learned that Woods is one of those rare athletes who move the needle at retail. The company had retailers calling them and telling them they were selling what Tiger was wearing.

Woods' ability to drive consumers to stores in search of the same shirt or cap he wears prompted the company to start scripting what he wears in the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and the PGA Championship.

Because it's been such a success for Nike, other major golf apparel manufacturers, such as adidas and Dunning, have gotten into the act — scripting players such as Sergio Garcia, Zach Johnson, Justin Rose, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis.

Scripting Woods is at the forefront of Nike's seasonal briefing process, with discussions taking place before the company starts designing products.

"We look at the time frame that they are outfitting him, taking into account what courses he will be playing," Reed said. "What we are trying to do is pick a good visual and saleable mix of product to carry him through the four days."

Reed said Nike works backward when putting together Woods' wardrobe because it knows Woods must always have a red shirt to wear for his Sunday round.

From there, Reed and his staff work with Woods to put together a wardrobe that is a good representation of different colors, textures and styles the company offers.

Like everything in his life, Woods is in charge when it comes to what he wears.

According to Reed, Woods asks questions and offers his input into the type of clothes that are part of the Tiger Woods collection.

"He's much more of a make-it-with-me kind of guy than a make-it-for-me one," Reed said. "We meet with Tiger and walk him through options and get his feedback. We want to make sure he has comfort level with colors and style. It's usually seamless. The only change might be a color he might not be comfortable with."

Nike lets its buyers know what Woods will be wearing at least six months in advance, and usually it's even a longer lead time. That allows stores to have the shirts he's wearing in majors in stock when those tournaments are played.

Woods, Garcia differ greatly

For the most part, Woods is pretty conservative when it comes to colors and styles.

That isn't the case with Garcia.

Tiss Dahan, director of global apparel for adidas Golf, said Garcia wants a lot of color in the clothing they script for him.

"Sergio likes color and he wants to be colorful," Dahan said. "He's about a lot of bright color."

Garcia demonstrated that during the final round of the 2006 British Open. Paired with Woods, Garcia wore bright yellow pants and a yellow shirt.

After the round, more people wanted to talk about Garcia's choice of clothing than his 1-over 73.

"We sold a lot of yellow shirts the day after that tournament," Dahan said. "It was demographic in response, younger people were really excited by it because it was different."

The excitement over Garcia's yellow shirt is example of why adidas decided to begin scripting its high-profile golfers.

"We've learned what they see on Sunday sells on Monday," Dahan said. "Consumers see something that is visually appealing they want to be able to buy that same shirt.

"For the majors, we script our athletes so retailers can book those products nine months in advance. That way they have the clothes the week of that major."

Like Woods, Garcia and all of the other scripted golfers have a large say in what they wear. Dahan and her team meet with the golfers several times a year to get input from them and make sure they are comfortable with the clothing.

Getting technical

While Nike and adidas use scripting as a marketing tool to help move merchandise, both companies are also very concerned with outfitting their high profile athletes in clothes that allow them to perform at a maximum level.

That means putting players in technical fabrics. These products help golfers stay cool under humid conditions and warm in colder environments.

Twelve years ago Nike introduced Dri-Fit into the market, a proprietary product designed with moisture-wicking properties.

Since then, Nike has developed a series of other technical fabrics such as Dri-Fit Stretch UV, a polyester/spandex material with moisture wicking and UV protection.

Adidas counters with its Clima-Cool. It is 100 percent synthetic and is a quick-drying, moisture-wicking, UV protection fabric.

Reed said Woods likes to be warmed up so he feels more loose and fluid, but does not want the shirt to be heavy and clingy due to moisture.

The Dri-Fit clothes allow Woods to get warm but stay dry, especially now that he actually wears the right size.

When he first hit the tour, Woods wore a larger size than he does today because he thought he would have more room to swing.

"Actually he was getting more fabric and bunching," Reed said. "He would wear an extra-large. The reason he had the top button buttoned was to keep the shirt in place. He was turning and torquing inside the garment.

"He has gotten larger and athletic, but he is not sized-up. Now he wears a medium and the slimmer fit wicks moisture away and performs better."

Woods said one of primary objectives is to keep his core muscles warm.

"I work hard on getting the thermal fits to fit properly," Woods said. "I don't mind my arms getting cold, but as a golfer you have to have your back, your core, warmed. That is your range of motion.

"I don't like wearing sleeves. I wear a golf shirt and something underneath to keep my core nice and warm. Loose has paid dividends for me."

Dahan said everything adidas scripts for Garcia or any of its other athletes is Clima-Cool material.

The objective is for its athletes to be dressed in style clothes that perform well and if both of those objectives are met, golf fans will want to buy the same products.

"In hot and humid climates (like you often get at the U.S. Open and PGA Championship) you see how well these products perform," Dahan said. "An ordinary cotton shirt you see a guy with buckets of sweat. You don't see that with Clima Cool. We want fans to see our product works.

A new competitor

While Nike and adidas have been in the golf apparel business for a while, Dunning Golf has only been around since 2001.

Prior to then, the company made apparel for cyclists and triathletes.

Founder and president Ralph Dunning took up golf in 2000 and after purchasing a rain suit that didn't allow him to function on the golf course, he felt there was a niche market for high-performance clothing in golf.

Dunning's highest-profile athlete is 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson.

Dunning said its primary objective when scripting Johnson is to give him clothing that allows him to perform at his best.

"At the Masters, Zach built his wardrobe around the playing system that we feel is vital in allowing him to play his best," Dunning said. "That meant a light-weight system with a golf cut. We try to work with our guys so whether it's really hot or cold, they have a clothing system that allows him to focus on playing and not worry about weather."

With his philosophy, Dunning does not script what color or style of shirt Johnson uses. Instead, each player chooses for himself.

With his background in high-performance sports, Dunning does lend his expertise to helping Johnson dress for performance. That even includes the right kind of compression boxer briefs.

Because Johnson creates his own style, Dunning can't give retailers the heads up on what he is wearing at majors.

Since his Masters victory, the company does try to let retailers know what pieces Johnson is considering.

Johnson believes his partnership with Dunning played a part in his victory at Augusta in April.

The golf business has been so good to Dunning that it is now exclusively a golf company. It stays on the cutting edge of technology by designing clothing for companies that make clothes for those sports.

"The technology will continue to advance," Dunning said. "Things like different weight shirts for different body types. There are some amazing things coming."