Tiger’s game and fashion choices are trending up, Tony Finau’s hoodie causes debate, penguins return to the course, we shout out some stylish layers for spring, and we dish out high fives for five-pocket pants. Tour Editor Michael Ruuska paints a picture of the fashion scene at the Valspar Championship.
See Also: This Week in Golf Fashion: South of the Border Style
How GolfThreads Helped Tiger’s Game
Before we get to the real fashion news, let’s do the obligatory Tiger Woods coverage. As a fan, it was fun to watch him in contention all weekend and Sunday was must-watch television.
From a style standpoint, he looked fine. Saturday and Sunday were his strongest of the four days. It was nice to see him in his traditional Sunday-best when it mattered. Even Thursday and Friday were decent, except for the horrible mock turtleneck base layer (loved his sweaters though).
Tiger has taken our advice recently and made some subtle fashion changes that have worked in his favor: he has been wearing the ‘good’ TW shoes (Nike Air Zoom TW71), his pants are slightly more tailored, and most importantly, no white belts!
After running the data at GT headquarters and confirming with the gang at ShotLink the evidence was conclusive; there is a direct correlation between Tiger’s game and his improved fashion choices! Heck, even Vegas took note as his odds to win the Masters has improved from 100-1 to 10-1. Coincidence? We think not.
Give Me Five
In the same way bettors in Vegas are all in on Tiger at the Masters, I am all in on five-pocket pants on the golf course. Rory wore the Nike Flex Slim Fit Pant and looked great. A fantastically casual style that does not stray too far from the game’s fashion etiquette. Yet, they add a youthful and laid-back look to any outfit.
Canadians love them some five-pocket trousers too, eh? Corey Conners went all four days wearing the FootJoy Athletic Fit Pants.
Even a cagey veteran like Steve Stricker appreciates the extra pocket in the Bobby Jones Rule 18 pants.
See Also: 11 Style Trends from the PGA Show to Watch
Zip It
To all the hoodie-haters, I say “zip it”. The temperatures were chilly on Thursday and Friday and guys had to wear layers to keep warm. Clearly, Tony Finau had the most controversial look, with his full zip hoodie, but consider me a supporter. I like anything that pushes the envelope and brings a fashion edge that appeals to a younger audience. In fact, I am planning an upcoming article on the growing crossover industry of Golf “Street-Wear”.
Canadian Inspired?
Texas boy, Jordan Spieth must have been awfully impressed with Canadian Corey Conners’ story. I am assuming the tuque he is wearing on his noggin is some sort of a tip of the cap to Conner’s hot start (Conner’s did not initially qualify for the Valspar Championship but played like he belonged).
Not everyone looked goofy in their attempt to stay warm. Henrik Stenson and Ernie Els zipped up their cardigans, from Hugo Boss and Linksoul respectively, and looked DY-NO-MITE!
Scandinavian Rivalries Aside
As a man with some pretty deep roots in Finland, it is not often that I throw compliments towards Swedish golfers. However, Mr. Stenson is the exemption. I put him in the discussion for early season best-dressed. Henrik once again showed us how the sleeves of your polo should fit, and wore one of my favorite current sweaters the Hugo Boss Zelchior Pro in the Night Watch colorway.
Relaunching Penguins
Cameron Smith gave us a sneak peek of the Original Penguin Golf line that will be released in April. I am excited to see what they have in store.
“Did You Hear About the Rose that Grew from a Crack in the Concrete?”
Great poem by Tupac Shakur. Great shirt by AdiPure. I love the muted stitching on the button down collar of Justin Rose’s AdiPure Novelty Pocket Polo. Very understated and classy detailing which gives his shirt a nice texture.
Shaking My Head
Unfortunately, Harold Varner III and Troy Merritt are in the running for “worst-dressed” and it has everything to do with execution. Neither are able to put a complete look together. It is not too late guys. And it is OK to ask for help. We helped Tiger. We can help you.
Color Me Surprised
Finally, I was a bit perplexed that we did not see more color on the course this past weekend, especially given Valspar is a paint company! Charl Schwartzel was an exception and made a splash with his KJUS sweater on Thursday. A little color goes a long way.
Mike, As always, well done. I agree about Tiger but look at Sneds kit in the background of that pic. I really like it. Somehow, Varner and Merritt seem to always look bad. The dreaded Bubba syndrome. I loved Henrik’s 1/4 zip sweater, looks amazing. Cam Smith seems to always look solid no matter when he was UA or now Penguin. Its in the fit. Charl is sneaky always suited up well. He never comes out with something that isn’t sharp.