It is difficult to believe the 2017-18 PGA Tour season is more than 25% complete. We are at the quarter pole and most of America is still dressed in parkas and beanies. That being said, the golf season really got going this week with the Farmers Insurance Open and El Tigre’s return to official PGA Tour golf.
In this edition of This Week in Golf Fashion, contributor Ian Galbraith breaks down Woods’ four outfits for the week and looks at the other notable fashions rolled out at Torrey Pines.
Tiger Woods (Nike)
Day 1
Did Tiger instruct Nike to tighten his shirts or is he looking more ripped than ever? Mr. Woods is back and he wore a mostly black outfit during his first official round in a year. The black with red striped TW Collection polo fit well, however, his pants always seem a bit baggy; a fit more appropriate for an NFL running back than a professional golfer.
Day 2
We have to remember Tiger is north of 40 and has never been a known as a fashionisto. He continues to dress like a golfer who plays twice a year and has to dig through his closet for a pair of pants, a polo, and golf shoes suitable for a round with the in-laws. His shoes had a distinct ‘grandpa’ feel to them. Overall, I’d like to see more contrast between the top and bottom, but props to Tiger for going with the grey belt.
Day 3
On Friday, Tiger went with a matching blue/teal outfit. On Saturday, he went to the other side of the color spectrum with a simple white/grey combination. I like the new range of polos and pants that the Swoosh team is wearing this year. Tiger combined a white polo with a WHITE belt, light grey trousers, and white shoes. This outfit looks better suited for a safari than a round at Torrey Pines. How much does Nike pay Tiger? Oh, yeah. A lot.
Day 4
Tiger’s Sunday red polo was back and I liked the subtle black stripes. When he donned the black vest I had flashbacks to the younger Tiger. Nike has evolved the Sunday look for the better and I still like how Tiger has stayed committed throughout the years. This was easily the Big Cat’s best look of the week.
A small Tiger note: he wore the TW hat all four days. In past years he wore a TW hat on Thursday and Friday and a Nike hat on the weekends.
Rickie Fowler (Puma Golf)
Rickie is back and looking stylish as ever. As he quickly approaches 30 (no, way!), his Puma apparel continues to become more refined while keeping up with the latest fashion trends.
I really liked the tailored, crisp white pants and slightly long quarter-zip. The updated caps added a subtle refresh to his always on point headwear game. As the 2018 golf season gets underway, follow Rickie’s lead and add a couple of new lids to your rotation.
Jonas Blixt (J.Lindeberg) and Cameron Davis (Nike)
I commend Jonas and Cameron for the simplicity of their outfits. The contrast between the white polos and dark pants is a good look for anybody, especially us amateurs. No fancy patterns or bright colors; just nice solid outfits that look good on all golfers.
Patrick Reed (Nike)
Patrick’s change to Nike has been a huge boost to his on-course attire. Props to him for the massive improvements all around. The polos look good and fit correctly and Saturday’s kit had just enough contrast to keep a pretty simple outfit interesting. Way to go, Patrick.
Jon Rahm (Adidas)
This is the only crime on the list and for good reason. Rahm is a big guy and finding his way with what works on his larger frame. Adidas did him no favors by adding a big pop of yellow to the midsection of his shirt. Subtle patterns and stripes are Rahm’s best friend these days.
Alex Noren (Nike)
Alex Noren nearly captured his first PGA Tour victory this week. Unfortunately, he came up a bit short but did record his best finish to date. The Swede is in his second year with the Swoosh and I liked how he varied his outfits from the Americans on the Nike team. He wore a two-toned navy blue outfit on Saturday that was simple, clean, and well-tailored. The best part of his getup, though, was the matching Lunar Control 2 shoes. Nice touch.
Andrew Landry (Oxford)
Andrew Landry is playing some of the best golf of his career and his wardrobe is keeping pace with his results. This solid seafoam green polo offered a splash of early spring color and paired nicely with the navy pants and a navy hat. The simple outfit allowed the focus to fall on the best part of his look, those custom Footjoy Icons. If you haven’t figured it out yet, navy is the new grey.
C.T. Pan (Nike)
C.T. looked good in his light green polo and grey pant combination. The sleeves of his Nike polo were the perfect length and I liked how the shirt and hat matched. Demerits for the white belt, though.
Justin Rose (Adidas Adipure)
Justin continues his apparel evolution by favoring slimmer pants and shirts. The striped polo synced well with his dark navy pants, and the black belt created a smooth transition from the top to the bottom.
Jason Day (Nike)
Jason Day is off to a great start in 2018, taking home the trophy at the Farmers Insurance Open. The Australian’s Monday outfit featured many shades of black reminding me of the Black Knight’s famous look. The dark monochromatic shirt and pants combo looks good on anyone, and as the temperatures warm up, the black on black combination can also be worn with shorts to mirror Jason’s solid Monday outfit.
Hideki Matsuyama (Descente)
Hideki is back and looking to regain his game. I’m loving his brightly colored shirt and blue vest combined with a pair of crisp white pants. I have come to embrace the bold Descente print shirts and I’m going to support Hideki’s crazy combinations this year (no matter what Greg says). The crazier the better for Hideki. I’m all in!
Featured Image: Getty/Michael Reaves (https://www.gettyimages.com/license/910350438)
Awesome stuff, Ian. Fun read. My observations: Jonas Blixt continues to go rogue with his hats, this week at Torrey Pines he gave some love to the local upstart San Diego Seals, a professional lacrosse team that begins their season in November. I like this trend. Somewhat fashion worthy too. Goes to show you don’t always have to wear a “golf” uniform. I agree, Patrick Reed looks much better these days in his Nike gear. Speaking of Reed, I feel like Jon Rahm is starting to dress like the Callaway Patrick Reed. That is NOT a good thing….neither was Ricky Barnes untucked shirt on Friday. To make things worse Barnes wore a white base-layer underneath. Looked horrible. John Huh looked awesome Friday rocking the Linksoul crewneck sweater with micro strip elbow patches. Finally, not really fashion worthy but I am always intrigued by golfers with visible tattoos and noticed Rory Sabatinni has some ink on his forearm.
Tiger wearing a matching belt and not a white one was huge for the week. That alone is a win. I really liked Jonas Blixt’s belt. Reed does look much better in Nike but his pants are still wide fit. Rahm does look bad in his gear whether it is the white belts, tight fit around the waist or that horrible yellow shirt he wore. Noren’s kit was similar to the 16 euro ryder cup gear and I liked both. At least Noren looked great while he waited for 4 mins 10 seconds to watch JB play on purpose for 4th place.
I know I’ve been a little critical, albeit in a cheeky way, of you guys not showing the “swoosh” any love here…so it was only fitting that I say “thank you” for doing it now. I thought all the guys looked great…especially P Reed. The Nike stuff fits him way better and good on him as it looks like he’s lost a few lbs. Keep up the great work guys…love the site and love the write ups!