Fashion at the Players Championship include joggers, hoodies and more
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – There’s a reckoning coming in golf.
No, not the LIV golf defectors or anything like that, but if Sam Ryder and his purple sweatpants have anything to say, the latest trend in golf fashion is about to catch fire.
Ryder caused a stir on social media in January when he wore purple joggers during January’s Farmers Insurance Open.
He won the support of some but drew the ire of others, including Phil Mickelson and John Daly, both of whom criticized the joggers Ryder wore as he led the tournament for much of the game.
Ryder is hardly the first to follow a different clothing trend in golf fashion. In 2003, Tiger Woods debuted his mandarin collar shirt, a style staple he has worn throughout his historic career.
The late Doug Sanders pushed fashion boundaries with his colorful outfits. He would dress in the same color from head to toe and own a variety of brightly colored shoes to match his trousers and sweaters.
And before golfers wore Nike, Titleist and Callaway caps, Tom Weiskopf, recently inducted into the Hall of Fame, wore his taxi hat.
There’s always a trend in the golf world and while joggers might not get along with most golfers, something else has already caught on.
hoodies.
Lightweight jackets and sweaters that keep athletes warm while still allowing them full freedom of movement.
Not to mention how cool they make them look.
“I’m 5-9 years old and I have short legs, so I don’t really look good in (joggers). I like them. But I don’t mind,” Collin Morikawa said earlier this week. “I think now we were walking, what, a year ago I think I was wearing a hoodie and everyone loved the hoodie, and now we’re into joggers. It’s a style, right. It’s trending. I think a lot of people own sweatpants. I find them very comfortable to wear. I just don’t think I fit that style or that shape as well as some other guys.”
Sweatpants aren’t sold in stores, but hoodies are the latest product to be flying off the shelves.
“We don’t carry jogging pants and there isn’t much demand for them. But I love it when players take risks when it comes to fashion,” said Lea Osol, director of merchandise for the PGA Tour. “The younger generation of PGA Tour players are certainly more open to new ideas and they are largely responsible for the popularity of hoodies on golf courses. We find that both men and women love the stylish hoodies that are now available.”
Keep an eye out for your favorite golfer wearing hoodies when the temps allow, and don’t count out joggers just yet because those who can pull it off are likely to stay.