If golf ever had a superhero it would be Tiger Woods. His contribution to the sport has been unprecedented. He is larger than life and his every move scrutinized (good, bad and indifferent). The countless number of Tiger articles, memes, and countdowns until his return to the Hero World Challenge were mind-boggling and even overwhelming at times. At GolfThreads headquarters it was decided we would add to the hysteria and share a fashion pundits take on Tiger’s return…..
As the Hero World Challenge concluded (congrats to my boy, Rickie Fowler on a fantastic victory) I kept asking myself, how do I present Tiger’s fashion choices in an interesting manner that will keep my two readers (shout out to Jim and David) engaged? Let’s face it, fashion is the least intriguing part of Tiger Woods. One theme kept coming to mind: Superhero analogy. Maybe it was the “Hero” World Challenge, the spinal fusion back surgery, Tiger’s impressive long game or his spectacular physique. Whatever it was that brought me to this theme, Spider-Man kept coming to mind. Here’s why.
Thursday
I thought he started the tournament off pretty well. I loved the fit of his TW Dry Blur Stripe Polo in Black/Flat Silver. It showcased Tiger’s commitment to his upper body at the gym and reminded me of Spider-Man’s archenemy, Venom. If not for the horrible white belt (which makes a return each day except Sunday) this would’ve been his best look of the tournament.
Friday
As promising as Thursday was, Friday left me shaking my head. First of all, I am not a fan of the blade collar. But worse than that was the baggier fit of the shirt. (Most of the other Nike guys who wear the blade collar shirts at least get the fit right). I did like the placement of the texture on the TW Dry Polo (just below the pectorals). It really creates an illusion of a larger chest and shoulders by shading the abdomen. If Tiger chose a more tailored approach to this shirt he clearly would have looked more like Spider-Man’s enemy, Anti-Venom and less like the snowman that ends up on my scorecard each round.
Saturday
My least favorite outfit Tiger wore at the tournament. Again with the baggier blade collar polo and same white belt (noticing a trend?). Ugh. Ironically, the TW Dry Polo he wore on Saturday did not appear to stay dry. In fact, the Armory Navy/Armory Blue/Flat Silver color fade almost appeared to accentuate the sweat stains. Or, maybe the pattern of the shirt looked like sweat stains. Either way, this shirt should be retired from Tiger’s wardrobe.
Sunday
My Spidey-sense is tingling. We have a winner! Sunday’s outfit made me happy. It was nice to see Tiger in the signature look he has become synonymous for; Victory Red (with a muted twist). Thumbs up to the slimmer fitting Siren Red/Black TW Dry Blur Polo with the black belt, trousers, and Air Zoom TW71 (far superior to the TW’17 Shoes, which he wisely stayed away from the entire tournament).
There is something about Tiger-Man on a Sunday in his golf uniform that makes you recall his amazing, superhero-like powers and dominance over the game of golf from 1996-2009. It was awesome to have him back and be competitive. However, sadly I don’t think he will ever be the Sartorial Super Hero the golf fashion world is looking for.
I was really hoping you would write about this because of his apparel. TW even wore that loud shirt on Tues or Wed with the gradient that was a lot for him. If you think about it, Tiger is typically 5-7 years behind on fashion in general. His Friday choice was his best because it was simple and the fit was solid. Thursday and Saturday were even worse because he wore white shoes which enhanced the contrast with his dark pants. Can you do a recap of the fashion at the Hero? Nike came out with some new shirts, Spieth new pant, Rickie’s new Puma hate, guys are trying so new combinations a lot of new stuff has been hitting the tour and a review would be awesome because you all are so talented!
The big cat is a golf superhero with an ugly costume? Fantastic analogy. I wish his Nike reps could convince him to follow certain guidelines.