Opinion & Analysis

Scripted Masters outfits: Newsworthy or not?

Published

13 years ago

Apr 8, 2013

The best pro golfers in the world will be strolling the fairways of Augusta next week…or are they strutting runways? It’s a little unclear, at this point.

For the past several years, Nike has released photos of how the Striped One will be attired in the majors because, apparently, people care. Gradually, it seems other manufacturers have gotten on board, publicizing their “scripted” outfits. However, this is the first year I remember seeing so many “news” items on golf websites and blogs about how various companies have elected to dress their staffers.

Give me predictions. Give me Masters history. Give me features about the history of the clubhouse, the nursery that used to inhabit the property, or reactions to the 2011 changes, now a couple years removed. Heck, give me an in-depth interview with Martha Burke about the admission of Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore, or a tale of where Billy Payne gets his haircut.

Don’t, however, give me a news item on Justin Rose’s trouser selections.

Steve Elkington tweeted the following cartoon from his SecretInTheDirt.com:

While the rendering may be thick with nostalgia, it does point out an extreme shift from the days when club pros headed out on the circuit to test their games against one another, trying to make a couple bucks in the process, to today’s oversharing, over-marketed, overexposed stars who seem to sleep in beds of cash and lie their heads on pillows made of gold. They are likely never concerned about whether they’ll make enough in a tournament to take care of their caddies and pay for their hotel rooms.

Heck, look at the following Twitter (you think Hogan would have held a smart phone in his calloused palms and tweeted?) bio:

“SoCal Native, FL Resident, Cowboy 4Life, Dirt Jumper, Future Race Car Driver, SemiPro PhotoBomber/Ninja-er, Retired Student, & Professional Traveler”

If you didn’t know, contextually, who would you think it belonged to? A rich kid of Instagram? A jet-setting X-Games fanatic?

I’m not faulting Rickie Fowler. Clearly, he and those like him are the future of the professional game. By all accounts, he’s widely popular with the youth of our fine country. And, indeed, that is the most important thing for the continued growth and endurance of the game we love.

Rather, I’m simply saying that he could stand to include something about golf in his bio and maybe spend a few hours asking himself the hard questions about why he couldn’t take down Tiger at Bay Hill, rather than running home to Bubba Watson’s house to take self-shots.

I mean, the point of competitive golf is to win, right? Likewise, the objective of playing in the Masters Tournament is to win the whole thing, not look good while finishing tied for 38th.

If there’s blame to be cast, it lies more with Nike than Tiger, more with Taylormade-Adidas than with Sergio, and probably more with lazy golf writers drawn to the easy regurgitation of the press releases, which fall into their laps, than any of the aforementioned.

However, I am clearly out of step with the times, as we approach the Georgian vernal right.

So, if it’s a fashion show they want…then it’s only fitting that I — like an eager sartorial scribe — fawn over every stitch of one outfit from their scripted Masters garb.

Rickie Fowler

The day before he’ll suit up in his traditional orange prison jumpsuit (pictured as well), Rickie Fowler will don a sunburst shirt that looks like the dirt bike he would rather be riding. He will pair this with dark blue pants to suggest the water his hopes of victory will be sinking into, should he make the cut, and a white hat, which is nod to the flag of surrender he’ll be waving. (Disclaimer: I kid! I have Fowler pegged for a top-10 finish this week).

Ian Poulter

The British peacock and creative force behind IJP Design will be wearing black-and-white plaid pants from the company’s new “Johnny Miller circa 1975 Collection.” Poulter will pair this with a shirt that, in my humble opinion, may clash with Clifford Roberts’ chosen shade of green, should he win.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy’s Saturday outfit looks a little bit like Tiger Woods’ Sunday attire and that’s probably the point. However, Nike has decided to cloak Rory in a pink shirt that’s not quite red since he’s not quite Tiger Woods. Nike is electing, too, to force the Ulsterman to wear silly plaid pants to remind fans that he’s from the United Kingdom (and because Tiger would never wear them).

Tiger Woods

It’s appropriate that Tiger Woods will wear shades of gray on a Saturday, a day where his performance has been sickly the past several years. The TW Ultralite Stadium Pants that the golfer will be wearing look an awful lot like wind pants and continue the horrible trek towards Star Trek bodysuits, which I have long feared to be the future of golf apparel. Tiger will also be wearing your grandfather’s sneakers and sport the swoosh, rather than the “TW” logo, on his hat to maximize branding efficiency as TV viewership increases for the weekend.

For more information about how the rest of your golfing heroes will be attiring themselves, feel free to check out the websites of your favorite major apparel manufacturers (as I surely will not). I think I speak for all true golf fans when I say, I can’t wait to see who gets to accessorize their Sunday Masters outfit with a green jacket!

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

13 Comments

Mike D.

Apr 9, 2013 at 4:41 pm

The bashing of players in these comments is rather amusing to me. They’re getting paid to wear whatever the manufacturers make, and for the most part have very little time spent advertising what they’re wearing (i.e. Poulter’s, Rory’s, & Tiger’s stuff). So why not spend 5 minutes at a photo shoot so you can earn millions of dollars a year to wear clothes. The insinuation by Elkington and this article that these guys are passing up practice time to promote their gear is absolutely ignorant.

The only people who make a deal about this is the media. They’re the ones relying on the OEMs to continue pumping money into advertising spots and sponsorship deals. They’re the ones who have to find SOMETHING to fill the 24/7 news cycle. So blame the media for making something out of nothing.

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RTG

Apr 9, 2013 at 2:38 pm

what has golf become? who the heck cares!!

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Chacha

Apr 9, 2013 at 1:02 pm

You seem jealous … Societie evolves that’s all …

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Joe S

Apr 9, 2013 at 12:14 pm

Not; and yes, I’m over 50 and so no longer relevant.

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kevin

Apr 8, 2013 at 11:16 pm

Who cares what these guys plan to wear. Golfers known to be the worst dressed. polo shirt is not dressing. wearing a baseball cap is not dressing. color coordinating in bright neon colors is not dressing. buttoning up the polo shirt to the top is not dressing but very very nerdy.

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J

Apr 8, 2013 at 9:51 pm

So you wear unbranded plain slacks and polos without logos…no logos on the shoes…your golf bag have any branding on it… Your headcovers just functional… Is everything about you, your golf bag, your golf clubs just plain, no markings, no individuality.

This constant… ” it aint what it used to be ” crusade that some golfers/ golf writers seem to be on is tiresome.

Society progresses. Trends develop, flair, pass and new ones are born behind and in front of it.

It’s old news.
Hand over the technology this generation has given you and Ill turn in my bright orange crocodile leather belt.

Deal?

Reply Report comment
Rich

Apr 8, 2013 at 9:48 pm

not needed to be shown

Reply Report comment
Pat

Apr 8, 2013 at 8:50 pm

Whoa, you are going way too far into this, and it actually got pretty petty at the end and immature. Dude, they get paid A LOT of money to wear a branding on their clothing and as far as the textures, they are all made to be sweat wicking (nike). All that was, was hating, and seemed to be 12 year old jealousy. Gross..

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Golf Rig

Apr 8, 2013 at 8:48 pm

I for one think they are very cool, it makes the players easy to spot on the course. I have started to track and share outfits and other gear on twitter @GolfRig

Reply Report comment
Josh

Apr 8, 2013 at 12:06 pm

What does their rain gear look like? It is likely that will be the only thing seen for a few days.

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Rusty Cage

Apr 8, 2013 at 10:37 am

Like it not, professional golf has caught up to the likes of the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL in terms of marketing and promotion. How individual golfers dress has gone way beyond matters of taste and is now part of any successful marketing campaign built around endorsement contracts.

As to the question of whether or not this should be considered newsworthy? Is it any more or less newsworthy than the constant “What’s In The Bag?” articles we see on all the major golf publications (online and in print)? OEMs certainly don’t mind the extra publicity these articles generate.

Reply Report comment
David LoPresti

Apr 8, 2013 at 9:59 am

And with this comment:

“While the rendering may be thick with nostalgia, it does point out an extreme shift from the days when club pros headed out on the circuit to test their games against one another, trying to make a couple bucks in the process, to today’s oversharing, over-marketed, overexposed stars who seem to sleep in beds of cash and lie their heads on pillows made of gold.”

You lost all credibility

Reply Report comment
Billy

Apr 8, 2013 at 9:38 am

Good article. Definitely not news worthy and it actually really irks me that this is a thing.

Reply Report comment

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