Phil went to work, Bubba laced it up for Mom, Blixt got artsy, and JT kept it cool and classic. GolfThreads looks back at the top fashion stories from Day 1 at THE PLAYERS Championship.
Phil Mickelson (Mizzen+Main)
If I told you Phil, Tiger, and Rickie were grouped together and one of them had the Twittersphere buzzing with a controversial sartorial choice, you would have put money on that player being Rickie…And you would have been wrong!
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Darren Rovell reported that Mickelson inked a deal with men’s apparel brand Mizzen+Main. Lefty wore one of M+M’s long-sleeve performance button-downs during a practice round at The Masters and liked it so much he went ‘all in.’ As part of the deal, Phil got a piece of the company and some cold, hard cash.
Rovell also mentioned that Phil would wear another M+M button-down on Friday. Apparently, he couldn’t wait to roll out his new threads and dipped into his luxurious garment bag a day early with what we believe was the Nelson in solid blue.
Mizzen+Main makes great shirts. I applaud the brand for taking something that has historically been a burden to wear and made it comfortable and appealing. What better way to showcase the technical qualities of its shirts than slipping one on the back of arguably the most popular player in the game on a warm May day in Florida. And, props to M+M for already building out a section of its website with Phil’s Picks.
That being said, I run into issues with Phil’s execution. Granted, the fit of this shirt was much better than the one he wore at Augusta, but he still looked like a VP of Sales who ducked out of the management meeting for an afternoon at the club. If you are going button-down on the course, at least throw on a tie and go for some old-school elegance like Justin Thomas did at the Open Championship last year. Also, as Twitter friend @yootopea correctly suggested, measuring and fitting the sleeves to length while wearing a glove and using a cutaway collar (as opposed to a pinpoint) would have given Phil an even better fit and a more modern look.
Who knows if this is a regular thing for Phil. Stay tuned.
Bubba Watson (G/FORE)
Personal edition shoes have been all the rage in other professional sports and they are starting to make their way to the fairways. Never afraid of a little color, Bubba broke out these G/FORE High-Top Disruptors in honor of Mother’s Day weekend. The shoes were customized by Roland Patron from Nomad Custom. Patron also tricked out Rickie Fowler’s high-tops for the Arnold Palmer Invitational as a tip of the cap to the King. Be on the lookout for a white pair created by Nomad Customs and G/FORE, as well.
Jonas Blixt (J.Lindeberg)
Earlier this week, we told you about the new Art Polo Collection from J.Lindeberg. The capsule collection includes three unique polos. The prints were designed and sketched by hand, and the dying process was quite amazing. You can get all the details here. Jonas Blixt rocked the #3 polo in the collection, which coincidentally arrived on my doorstep today (Yes!). The two large X’s symbolize J.Lindeberg’s 20 years of existence and the design is a nod to a shirt from one of JL’s 2008 capsule collections.
Justin Thomas (Polo Ralph Lauren)
Is there anything more classic than a white Ralph Lauren polo with a pony? JT kept his apparel simple and clean but punched up his look with some killer brogues and a flashy exotic skin belt.
Jason Dufner
The GolfThreads crew has developed an obsession with Jason Dufner’s random headwear this year. We’ve seen everything from Cleveland Indians lids to trucker-styles from surf companies. Props to Duf for being just like us weekend hacks. The dude rolled into the TPC Sawgrass pro shop, plunked down some hard-earned cash, and came out with a dope PLAYERS Championship rope hat. Might as well grab a souvenir while you are here.
Jason Day (Nike) and Kevin Streelman (Johnnie-O)
In his Wells Fargo Recap, Tour Editor Michael Ruuska astutely observed that bone-colored trousers are on the come up. If you are like me, you still have nightmares about shapeless bone-colored cotton trousers with triple pleats from the ’90s. Did anything epitomize the fashion disaster that was that decade more than these? I think not. Good news, though. This latest generation of bone-colored pants will erase those bad memories thanks to slimmer fits and technical materials.
Andrew Landry (Oxford)
Andrew Landry is becoming a favorite here at GolfThreads. His soft neutrals and dusty pastels are hitting all the right notes. Plus, this guy knows how to complete a look. The braided belt and spectator shoes offer the perfect juxtaposition between old school style and new school smarts.
Nick Taylor (Adidas)
This is one of my favorite color combos of the season. Mint green is an easy way to liven up a pair of traditional navy blue trousers or shorts.
Billy Horschel (RLX Ralph Lauren)
The obligatory shot of the best-dressed player in the world. The navy blue belt syncs perfectly with the placket, collar, and stripes on the shirt. We would expect nothing less from BillyHo.
Phil looks so bad. Can’t script a narrative where he looks good. He had to be incredibly hot wearing that shirt. Blixt wearing that shirt was a really cool find and BillyHo never has a day off.