Wow! What a day! I’m still trying to catch my breath. The third round of the U.S. Open gave us a record-breaking 63, cotton candy pink pants, and more blade collar polos. Who showed up with major fashion game? Who came up lame? GolfThreads breaks down the best and worst looks from Day 3 at Erin Hills.
See Also: U.S. Open Fashion Dimes & Crimes: Day 2
Fashion Dimes
Embed from Getty ImagesJustin Thomas (Polo Ralph Lauren)
The highlight of Day 3 was Justin Thomas’ 9-under 63, which tied the record for lowest score and broke the record for most strokes under par for a round at a U.S. Open (#PrayForJohnnyMiller). This guy is crazy streaky. In fact, I have no idea what to expect from him on Sunday. The dude could go all Tiger Woods on us (you remember him, right) and throw up another 63, or he could just throw up. Let’s hope for the former.
The second biggest story was JT’s cotton candy pink trousers, which obviously sparked a Moving Day charge. Since his round was so incredible, we’re giving him a pass on the fact that his salmon pink belt and Flo Neon pants (an official Ralph Lauren color) clashed.
Shop a ‘Shorts’ version of Justin’s Flo Neon Chinos.
Embed from Getty ImagesRickie Fowler (Puma Golf)
Rickie may have been overshadowed by his SB2K17 travel companion on the scoreboard, but he had the best look of the day. The peacoat blue ensemble received a jolt of energy thanks to the mix of wide, thin, and angled stripes. The bright red, white, and blue blocks of color on the front put a modern twist on the patriotic theme.
Shop Rickie’s Level Polo and Tailored Fit Pants.
Embed from Getty ImagesXander Schauffele (Adidas Golf)
I’m still amazed Xander Schauffele is a professional golfer and not a German brand of chocolate, but the kid appears to have serious game. It also looks like he stole Dustin Johnson’s clothes for the weekend. Hey, DJ is not using them! This was a super clean look from the Shauff-ster. The trousers were cut perfectly, the fit of the shirt was on point, and the black belt worked well with the dark shirt and hat.
Bill Haas (Peter Millar)
Yesterday we talked about how something as small as a belt can make an outfit crash and burn. The flip side of that is a belt can also elevate an entire kit when used correctly. You can never go wrong matching your belt to your pants, or even your shirt, but those strategies are an easy way out. On the other hand, a total boss move is wearing a belt that doesn’t match but complements the rest of your look. Such was the case with Bill Haas’ cotton braided belt in a color Peter Millar calls Manatee Blue. It introduced a third color in a way that took his outfit to another level.
Brooks Koepka (Nike Golf)
Koepka was the best dressed Nike athlete out there, which is quite an accomplishment considering that nearly half the field is rockin’ the Swoosh these days. Brooks stuck with a traditional collar and Nike’s new Mobility Control Stripe Polo. The great thing about this shirt is the super thin stripes actually wear like a solid for a clean look, but up close, they give the shirt some texture and personality.
Kevin Na (WAAC)
Kevin Na has become one of the biggest fashion enigmas in the game of golf. The guy either crushes it or looks like a hot mess. Today, everything was good in NaNaland as he sported this patterned polo. I wish we saw more of this from Na and golf apparel brands, in general.
Hideki Matsuyama (Descente)
Wait, what? Clearly, there has been a mistake. Hideki usually only appears in the Crimes section of these pieces. But, proving that even a 36-handicapper finds the center of the club face every once in a while, Matsuyama finds himself amongst the Dimes. The key to his sartorial success on Saturday was the lack of dizzying graphical patterns, stripes, and colors. Instead, he kept it clean with a simple black polo and aqua pants combo. Now if Hideki would ditch the v-notch hems, we would be in business.
Fashion Crimes
Embed from Getty ImagesPatrick Reed
Captain America swapped his custom made trousers for the Team USA Ryder Cup Pants, but he really needed to trade that white belt for a navy one.
Tommy Fleetwood
The Blade Collars took a beating in social media on Saturday, especially the color blocked polo that Nike’s athletes have been wearing at the U.S. Open. One thing is for sure, if you are going with one of these slim fitting Blade Collar Polos, you need to have a solid bench press routine.
Charley Hoffman
The struggle with heat and humidity was real for Charley Hoffman. It looked like he ran through a few fairway sprinklers or got caught in a downpour.
Zach Johnson
The white belt victim of the day was Zach Johnson. I liked the colorful wide blocked stripes on the front of his polo, but a gray belt would have gone a long way in smoothing out the flow of his kit from top to bottom.
Love the articles, can’t wait for day 4. Would someone please sort Mr reed out, always looks a total mess. Got to rock some pink trousers this coming weekend, wow JT.
Jason,
Thanks for reading! We appreciate the compliment! I’m guessing Ralph Lauren probably sold some pink pants this weekend.
Greg
I actually like how JT did the pants and belt. That belt was as close as he could get to the pants and for some reason I liked it. I didn’t like the Bill haas belt with the shirt but liked that he stepped out of 1998 with his apparel for once. Lastly, I liked the little strip of blue on rickie’s hightop shoes. Kinda cool
Jim,
I think I may have been too harsh on JT’s belt choice. With all the resources these guys have, I just thought he could have gotten a little closer to the color of the pants. Either way, it was a strong kit. Agree with you on Rickie’s hi-tops. I thought they were one of the best pairs we’ve seen from him.