Ugh! Is it just me or did the golf fashion world shoot the equivalent of an 85 in the first round of THE PLAYERS Championship? Looking back at our coverage from last year, we had Rickie rockin’ tricked out neon kicks, Rory breaking out joggers and Air Max 90s, and Phil Mickelson going old school with Sansabelt-like slacks. Whether you were down with these looks or not, you can’t deny that there was a ton of fashion buzz at the 2016 tournament.
This year? Not so much. Of course, we had our usual suspects like Billy Horschel, Kevin Na and Rickie Fowler bringing some flavor to the Stadium Course. Here’s a look back at round one. Let’s hope for more inspiring looks in round two.
Embed from Getty ImagesJason Day (Nike Golf)
I get it. Many of you don’t like white pants and frankly, they are starting to feel a bit played out on the Tour these days. That being said, I’ll take white over grey, especially on a warm spring day.
Jason paired his white pants with a vibrant blue shirt. Nike calls this Chlorine Blue and it is a fresh color for the warmer months. I do think Day could have taken this look to another level by going with a grey or pink belt. When will someone let me script these guys?
Embed from Getty ImagesRory McIlroy (Nike Golf)
Day wasn’t the only one sporting this neighborhood pool blue. Rory’s blue suede microfiber shoes created a fair amount of Twitter banter, but in the end, they left his outfit feeling unbalanced. For my tastes, use bright colors as accents on shoes rather than as the predominate color. In fact, just give me a clean pair of white kicks.
Rickie Fowler (Puma Golf)
Rickie hit all the right notes in this bold and sporty kit. The grey shirt offered just the right amount of contrast with the white pants and provided a strong backdrop for the bright blue stripes.
Yuta Ikeda
Yuta Ikeda always brings some sartorial flair to the course. The latest example being these orange checked pants. Pairing them with a stiff collar and long placket gave this outfit a late ’60s mod feel.
Bubba Watson (Oakley & G/FORE)
The best parts of Bubba Watson’s setups remain his G/FORE shoes and gloves. By syncing the green glove with the green accents on the shoes, Bubba elevated an otherwise ho-hum look. BTW, I interviewed the two-time Masters champ earlier in the week and he said he would debut G/FORE’s new Collection Gallivanters and Disruptors at some point during the tournament. Be on the look out, but you never know with Bubba.
Kevin Na (WAAC)
Business in the front, party in the back? Na continues to step out in some unique and creative designs. Some work. Some don’t. I give this shirt with a solid front and large polka dots on the back a thumbs up.
Dustin Johnson (Adidas Golf)
DJ has seriously upped his style game over the last year thanks to slimmer fits. Golf Digest named Dustin the best dressed player last week at the Wells Fargo Championship and in the process broke the news that DJ is wearing custom tailored polos that are the equivalent of a size medium. If DJ is wearing a medium, it means that most of us are wearing shirts that are too big.
Andrew Loupe (Oxford Golf)
Speaking of fit, this is how the sleeves on a golf shirt should look – narrow and short. Then again, most of us don’t work out 25 hours a day like Loupe.
Wesley Bryan (Skechers)
Our White Belt Victim of the Day is Wesley Bryan. These intense pastels had so much potential, but the white belt disrupted the entire look. SMH.
Phil Mickelson
We don’t see many trendy colors from Lefty, but this mint green color is certainly one of the hot hues for the season. Phil usually sticks with a very dark color palette and I’m not sure why. These brights bring a ton of energy to his outfits.
Henrik Stenson (Hugo Boss)
Stenson has been the best dressed player on Tour this year…until today. I still don’t understand the all white kit. Sure, it’s a warm day in Florida, but that’s no reason to look like a hospital orderly or a milk man. On the flip side, I love the print on the shirt and the matching royal blue belt. I just would have ditched the white pants for a pair of blue trousers.
Billy Horschel (RLX Ralph Lauren)
Horschel always nails the details. Case in point, this blue belt with matching pants. Keep in mind, highly saturated colors, like this sapphire blue, look best when balanced against neutrals.
Glad you pointed out the Golf Digest article about DJ’s tailored shirts being the equivalent of a medium. I read that yesterday and have begun to rethink my golf shirt sizing. I am not as big as Andrew Loupe but pretty fit (6″1, 195 lbs.). I am a “large” but purposefully stay away from some of the traditional brands such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and UA because large is too big and I can’t bring myself to buy a medium. Will have to rethink this mindset.
Loved Yuta Ikeda’s look. Was my favorite by far at the Players. Very MAD MEN like.
Fantastic writeup and I couldn’t agree more that the style was lacking this year. I really like Phil’s colors and Bill Ho always nails it. He clearly separates himself. Henrik looked like Rickie from 2010 when Rickie used to wear the same top and bottom then be loud with the belt.