It is amazing to think how GolfThreads has grown over the past few years. From not knowing if I would have anything to write about to having a stack of shoes, shirts, pants, and belts in the corner waiting to be reviewed, it has been a fun and rewarding journey. In order to take GolfThreads to the next level, it is time for some help.
I’m please to introduce Ian Galbraith as a new contributor to GolfThreads. Ian is the managing director of an innovation firm by day, an avid golfer, and an all around stylish guy. He starts his golf fashion blogging life by dropping a ‘no holds barred’ critique of the Pink Out during the final round of The Players Championship. Take it away, Ian.
Sunday at The Players is usually one of the best rounds in golf. The final three holes can create dramatic finishes, and as we saw two years ago, come from behind victories. While the 2017 tournament failed to match the spectacle of previous years, for those of us at GolfThreads, the pink attire had our attention until the final putt dropped.
In the past 10 years, pink has burst onto the sports landscape with multiple leagues, including the PGA Tour and NFL, utilizing the color to promote Breast Cancer Awareness. With the final round of THE PLAYERS Championship falling on Mother’s Day, the best players in the world donned pink to support the cause and honor mom’s everywhere. I for one think pink is an under used color for men’s clothing on and off the course. Be bold and be proud to wear this color anytime of the year to add a little pop to your outfit.
This final round recap examines the five golfers who wore pink the best and the five who wore it in a way that did not give justice to the color’s distinctive meaning.
Top 5
Embed from Getty ImagesZach Johnson (Oakley)
Zach’s look on Sunday was spot on and firing on all cylinders. The pink shirt fit well and paired perfectly with the black belt and black pants. The whole outfit tied together nicely and earned him top honors in our Mother’s Day rankings.
Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Oakley)
Rafa has firmly planted himself in the top 10 best dressed week in and week out. The pink really pops on his Oakley polo. The fit of Rafa’s shirt is perfect (follow his example even if you spend more time on the couch than in the gym) and he pairs it nicely with blue pants. The white belt prevents him from taking top honors, though.
Justin Rose (Adidas Golf)
Rosie’s attire is like a nice bottle of wine—a slow and steady improvement with time. Since his return to Adidas, and subsequently adiPure, his clothes fit better and create a more complete look. Enjoy the pink and grey combination. It’s a solid look for the Englishman.
Phil Mickelson
Sunday’s outfit for the wily veteran is another step in the right direction. His shirt fits well and pink and black is always a good combination. Follow Phil’s lesson and pair a pop of color with a strong base. Also, I like pairing the white hat with the dark bottoms.
Dustin Johnson (Adidas Golf)
The final top spot will not come as any surprise. The custom tailored shirts are a perfect fit and Dustin pairs the bright pink with a soft grey belt and pant combination. Most golfers do not want to spend the money to tailor their shirts, so just focus on the length of the sleeves. Take your golf fashion to the next level with an easy alteration and shorten your sleeves to mimic DJ’s.
Bottom 5
Embed from Getty ImagesJ.B. Holmes
The struggles for the American started in the locker room with his attire choice for Sunday and carried onto the course with a very pedestrian 84. J.B. needs to spend some of his winnings on a good tailor. His shirt looks like a walking billboard with so many logos. I am surprised he has not pulled a Ricky Bobby by wearing sunglasses with logos across the lenses. If I was his apparel sponsor, I would force him to tailor his shirts as part of the endorsement package.
Brendan Steele
PANTS, PANTS, PANTS!! How does somebody on Brendan Steele’s team not whisper into his ear, “Tailor your pants, so you look like a professional golfer.” Please note; a well-hemmed pair of pants enhances your golf outfit more than any other characteristic.
Sergio Garcia
His shirt looks great, but the outfit goes downhill from there. The belt is too busy and the pants and shoes make his entire look outdated. Adidas could have paired the pink shirt with a pair of white pants and light colored shoes. The Masters champ also gets a pass with his recent win, but Adidas should have outfitted him with a better look for his first tournament back.
Rickie Fowler
I am a big fan of Rickie’s attire most weeks, but he falls into the bottom five category with a crazy pattern on his shirt. Plus, pairing the predominately white shirt with white pants, white hat, white belt, and white shoes is way too much white.
Rory McIlroy
This final spot could have gone to a handful of golfers, but Rory’s shirt color and fit put him over the top, or is it the bottom? Even with his “post wedding extra pounds,” he is still one of the fittest guys on Tour, but his shirt does not fit him well. I like Nike’s new polo styles, but the color on this polo could be bolder. The rest of the outfit is just boring.
And Then There Is Jason Day
Jason Day falls into the middle of the pack when it comes to attire. When he joined Nike earlier this year, he said he wanted Nike to create tighter shirts and pants for him. Fortunately, somebody in Oregon convinced him tighter is not always better. His shirts and pants fit well and I like what he is doing with his shoes, too.
That is enough with the accolades for Jason, though. His clothing selection for the awards ceremony Sunday evening was downright disappointing. Golf attire is changing for the better and it’s more adaptable than ever, but at least respect the setting and occasion. While standing next to Mike Tirico, Jay Monahan, and Si Woo Kim, he looked like he was getting ready to head to the skatepark. At least throw on a jacket or a nice-looking quarter zip and look halfway professional. As one of the top golfers in the world, Jason is looked at as an example for many young golfers and he should at least wear something at the awards ceremony that could be worn inside the TPC clubhouse.
Fantastic Pink writeup. JRose looks so much better than Sergio in roughly the same script. You did give ZJ a pass on the saddle shoes which are 1992 esque. These posts the last couple of days have been awesome. Really enjoy seeing golf threads running live and well. Keep it up!
Welcome Ian! “No holds barred”?! I like your style. A little edge to GolfThreads? Interesting. I actually thought, in light of the Jason Day NIKE SB T-Shirt debacle, that it would be interesting to do a listing of the “edgiest” golfers (both fashion-wise and perceived reputation) on the PGA.
Since this is the “no holds barred” edition I will focus on where we disagree; Sergio and Rickie were unfair additions to the Bottom 5. Rickie is like a Supermodel on the runway, albeit it a very short one. He can wear things that no one else can or would wear on the course and still pull it off. Over the past year I have reluctantly decided that Rickie has transcended golf fashion and is now completely off-limits when it comes to fashion criticism! Sergio’s belt I thought was the best part of his outfit and if anything added some flair to an otherwise plain but respectable ensemble. Not Top 5 but not Bottom 5 worthy either. For your Top 5 I mainly agree, with the exception of Zach Johnson. He just didn’t look right to me. Maybe it was the black hat, black Oakley shades and the fact that he has the “O” logo on the center of his polo and then again as his belt buckle. He looked like the aliens from the movie, Toy Story.
Ian,
Having had an opportunity to read most of the GT postings over the years, I just wanted to say: “Well done.” I agree with your criticism of Rickie’s Sunday script, way too much white. The only one with more was the winner, Si Woo Kim. Welcome! I look forward to hearing your golf fashion views in the future. IMHO I thought Justin Rose had the best Sunday look.