This Week In Golf Fashion: Hovlanta Edition

Viktor’s victorious looks, Rory’s exclusive kicks, Tony’s lid, Max goes to Palm Springs, and more. GolfThreads recaps the fashion scene at the Tour Championship.

---

Viktor Hovland (J.Lindeberg & Puma Golf)

Hotlanta??? More like Hovlanta after that performance. The only thing hotter than an August weekend in the A was Viktor’s golf game. He made sure to torch the place before the bulldozers moved in for the redesign.

Hovland has been the biggest fashion enigma throughout the season and it continued again at East Lake. No doubt, his simplest fit was his best with the blue-on-blue ensemble on Friday. The rest of the week I couldn’t decide if he was stacking low-key Dimes or just way out in the Braves’ left field.

Throwing it back to J.Lindeberg’s heyday, the brand was known for funky deconstructed argyles, bold colorblocking, and unique uses of the iconic ‘JL’ bridge logo in its designs. Viktor’s script this week seemed to channel some of those vintage vibes through the diamond motifs on Thursday and Saturday and the colorblocked polo with the large bridge logo on the front for the final round. Personally, I’d like to see JL reach back into the archives and revive some of the old-school designs.

As much as Hovland improved his short game this year, he improved his footwear game just as much. When he was wearing Nikes, he often opted for black shoes with light-colored pants, which weighed down his outfits. It appears Puma solved this issue by only sending him these white and silver IGNITE Articulates because he has had them on repeat since he made the switch.

BTW, if you are looking for a great pair of kicks to see out the warm weather, the IGNITE Articulate should be on your shortlist. I’m embarrassed to say that I slept on these all summer until Michael dropped his review and article a few weeks ago about the number of Tour players lacing them up. They are firmly in my rotation now, especially when I want a sporty and athletic shoe. They make for a comfortable walk, have plenty of mid-foot stability, and the outsoles will make your greenskeeper happy. And good news! They are on sale.

Rory McIlroy (Nike)

There are rare shoes and then there are the shoes that are so rare you won’t even find them going for thousands of dollars on Stock X. Such is the case with Rory’s Air Zoom Victory Tour 3. Dubbed “The Winners Circle,” the exclusive colorway is reserved for players who are defending a championship. You’ll remember Scottie Scheffler and Tony Finau slipping on similar versions of the Air Zoom TW ’20 and Air Jordan 1 Low at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 3M Championship respectively this year.

Max Homa (FootJoy)

Another week, another FootJoy apparel collection in Max Homa’s suitcase. After showcasing the brand’s Bluffton Collection with rose and sapphire hues in Chicago, he arrived in Atlanta with pieces from FJ’s Palm Springs Collection. The pool blue, palm green, and black color story creates vibrant, high-contrast looks for late summer. Also, did Max look more tailored these past two weeks? The slimmer pants and shirts looked right out of Will Zalatoris’ wardrobe.

Keegan Bradley (Travis Mathew & Jordan)

Fall florals were in full bloom this week. While bright and colorful patterns are perfect for spring and summer, a dark and moody floral print, like this one, hits all the right notes for fall.

Tony Finau (Nike)

Love the old-school Nike logo on this lid. The only thing that would make it better would be if it had the stacked double logo that Seve rocked back in the day.

Rickie Fowler (Puma Golf)

Rickie and Puma have once again teamed up with renowned DJ, songwriter, and producer KYGO and his label Palm Tree Crew on another capsule and this may be the best one yet. The high-contrast flamingo pinks and aqua greens make a strong statement, especially against a black background. This collection screams, “final vacation of summer,” while possessing a vibrant South Beach feel.

Ed Reed

Former NFL defensive back Ed Reed is used to busting up wide receivers this time of the year. Instead, he hit East Lake with Vibey-est Look of the Week.

Warning: Rant Ahead

Here’s a rant and probably an unpopular one. I understand the sponsorship reasons for the Tour hosting playoff events in Memphis and Atlanta, but is there a worse month than August to hit those two cities? Watching guys progressively sweat through their shirts and pants while recreating the Ice Bucket Challenge to stay cool makes for a tough scene. Not to mention the constant weather delays create a disjointed viewing experience for the Tour’s stretch run.

At the same time, California and the Pacific Northwest are basking in sunshine, virtually no humidity, and no sign of rain for months. It has always baffled me why the Tour visits Cali every year in the heart of rainy season in January and February while ignoring the perfect conditions of the late summer and early fall. Call me a homer, but we drink Coca-Cola and FedEx delivers packages to the Left Coast, too. TPC Harding Park would be a great venue for a playoff event and it is even in the Tour’s network of courses. Rent free, baby! Besides, the Super Bowl and the Final Four are two of the biggest corporate sporting events and they move around every year.

If we must continue with the sweatfest every year for sponsorship reasons, can we at least let players wear shorts when the mercury and heat index reach specific levels? Making anyone walk around in pants for several hours in 100+ degree temps is borderline inhumane. Some will argue that shorts are unprofessional but I would counter that sweat-stained clothes look way more unprofessional. Plus, players already have the option to wear shorts in practice rounds.

Next year, the BMW Championship lands in Denver, which is a step in the right direction, although August is thunderstorm season in the Mile High City. How great would a West Coast playoff swing be? Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, LA, or San Diego. Great weather plus primetime finishes on Sundays. I know it will never happen.