When Brooks Koepka wore a pair of Off-White Nikes, complete with white zip tie, during the 2019 PGA Tour Championship, an explosion of mostly befuddled headlines followed. (“It’s fashion, bro,” was his memorable response.) After the British golfer Tyrrell Hatton wore a hoodie during his winning run at the BMW PGA Championship in October, one columnist felt the need to explain to potentially scandalised readers what, exactly, the alien garment looked like.
Consider those moments warning shots in fashion’s long drive to infiltrate the links.
Over the last couple decades, while athletes who play basketball, football, and even the sartorially strict sport of tennis have found their sense of style, golfers have remained stubbornly loyal to their polos and khakis. Tiger Woods’ signature red-and-black combo, first worn at the 1997 Masters, is still cited as an innovation.
But times are changing: golf experienced a pandemic boom, as millions of