When you watch the world’s greatest players, it’s easy to overlook the role that high quality, specially designed golf clothing plays in achieving that "extra one percent” to push them over the winning line.
Naturally, having a reliable, powerful swing and the right equipment is crucial – but being properly dressed is becoming more and more important.
Being comfortable is a must in a game like golf, where players will always find themselves under pressure if they want to succeed. So it makes sense to have a look at how the world’s leading pros are kitting themselves out if we want to get the most out of our own games.
World no.1 Jordan Spieth – a knight in Under Armour
The meteoric rise of Jordan Spieth hardly shocked those who have watched his game develop, and one important aspect of his improvement has been feeling more comfortable during tournament rounds. A lot of credit has to go to the golf clothing designers at Under Armour.
You might have recently seen Spieth sporting the ArmourVent blue polo shirt. The ArmourVent has been specifically designed to provide comfort in warm conditions, with mesh ventilation and a moisture transport system which keeps the skin dry and comfortable.
It’s also light and with a dynamic cut that suits young guns like Jordan. The anti-odour technology helps Jordan when he has to deal with the media, and the whole package simply makes him more at ease, whatever the game throws at him.
All of Under Armour’s collection can be found on function18.com, providing everyday golfers with the same level of quality and comfort.
World no.2 Rory McIlroy - Nike's new animal
Nike tend to snap up the world’s best golfers and after their long association with Tiger Woods, the sportswear giants have struck up a fruitful golf clothing partnership with Rory. Nike know the value of exposure, and superstars like McIlroy provide constant promotion.
McIlroy’s current golfing wardrobe includes Nike’s Momentum range of polo shirts. The stretchy, slim-lined fit of the Momentum golf clothing suits McIlroy’s dynamic swing, which demands flexibility at every stage.
Like Spieth, McIlroy loves to look the part as an essential element of his game. As usual, Nike have combined sporting performance with an instinct for style, with a focus on fuschia in their current colour scheme.
We stock the whole Nike sport fuchsia colour story, with eye-catching trousers and polo shirts - View here.
World no.3 Jason Day - Adidas’ Aussie poster-boy
Even before his triumph in the US PGA Championship, Jason Day was making waves for his style and poise. Now that he’s being touted as a member of golf’s “big 3”, all eyes are on his golf clothing, just as much as his soaring ball flight.
Day’s current choices include the ClimaCool 3 striped polo shirt. This looks the part with a classic cut and collar, but also includes advanced stretch and ventilation, allowing players like Jason to keep their cool.
Adidas offer a wide range of colours – with Day usually opting for a navy or black outfit. Others may well opt for something more flamboyant, like the brightly toned hi-res red polo shirt. Either way, the focus is on performance and comfort, even in extremely hot weather. View the full Autumn 2015 collection here.
World no.4 Bubba Watson – staying relaxed to ensure maximum power
Wherever he goes, crowds follow Bubba Watson for his combination of massive hitting and spectacular shot making, so it’s not surprising that Watson pays close attention to his appearance on the course.
Bubba’s golf clothing label of choice is Oakley. Primarily associated with sunglasses, Oakley have become one of golf’s performance apparel manufacturers, specialising in delivering a high level of comfort in warm conditions via their patented Ohydrolix fabrics.
Oakley also tend to create visually rich, exciting designs – something which no doubt attracted Watson with his free-wheeling style. Every design also comes with the famous Oakley “O” at their centre of the chest.
At Function 18, golfers can find all of Oakley’s current range, including the Emerson polo shirt, a current favourite of their big-hitting Floridian partner.
World no.5 Rickie Fowler - Leading the style stats with Puma's help
All golf fans must be aware of Rickie Fowler’s love of fashion, which is now being backed up by impressive victories in big tournaments. Fowler’s current golf clothing partnership is with sportswear legends Puma – and more specifically, their AW15 collection.
Blocks or stripes of bright colour are a hallmark of the AW15 collection and Puma have added a wide variety of designs to suit players like Fowler who love to experiment with their outfits.
The GT “blur stripe” design in orange has been one of the most recent features of Fowler’s attire, but he has sported almost every design in the AW15 range during the season.
Golfers with Rickie’s stylish character can get hold of the blue or periscope grey GT blur-stripe polo at Function 18 to add some swagger to their game. The perfect way to round off the outfit, would then be to add the six-pocket white golf trousers and Puma shoes.