Is there any end in sight for Brooks Koepka?

Check out the best looks, coolest kicks and hottest trends from the week at TPC Sawgrass. Phil Mickelson (Mizzen+Main) Rickie Fowler is no stranger to controversial fashion selections, but this week it was his playing partner Phil Mickelson who had social media buzzing. Lefty played the first two rounds in a performance button-down from menswear brand Mizzen+Main before missing the cut. Expect this to be a regular style for Phil moving forward. He first wore a Mizzen+Main dress shirt during a practice round at Augusta and he reportedly inked a deal with the brand last week which gave him an undisclosed stake in the company. Webb Simpson (FootJoy) 2018 PLAYERS Champion Webb Simpson has always favored a classic style, but he uses modern details to keep his looks fresh and on point. Throughout the week he put a contemporary spin on traditional looks with heathered textures, splashes of bright colors, and trim 5-pocket trousers. Bubba Watson (G/FORE) Personal edition shoes are all the rage with professional athletes in other sports, and Bubba is leading the charge on the PGA TOUR. He teamed up with G/FORE and sneaker artist Roland Patron of Nomad Customs on these Mother’s Day shoes. Patron has created custom cleats for Major League Baseball players and bespoke golf shoes for NBA stars Chris Paul and Ray Allen. He even created the Kobe Bryant tribute shoes Tony Finau wore at the TOUR Championship last fall. Dustin Johnson (adidas Golf) Bubba wasn’t the only one with special kicks for the week. DJ and other adidas Golf players debuted the brand’s Special Edition Silver BOOST™ shoes during the second round. This is only the second time adidas has used a colored BOOST midsole in a golf shoe. (A black colorway was worn at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play back in March.) To celebrate the launch, adidas outfitted its players in coordinating white and silver outfits to complement the shoes. Jason Dufner Proving that TOUR players are just regular guys, Jason Dufner apparently hit the pro shop at TPC Sawgrass for a little souvenir shopping and he emerged with this old-school rope hat. Playing without a headwear contract this year, Dufner has displayed a random assortment of lids, including everything from professional sports teams to surf shops. If you are looking to take your headwear game to the next level this summer, add a retro rope hat to your repertoire. Patrick Cantlay (TravisMathew) All-over prints continue to be one of the biggest fashion trends on the fairways and summer is the perfect time to have some fun with them. This whimsical print from TravisMathew, which consists of dancing tacos, cacti, sombreros and whistles tells people you are up on the latest styles, but you don’t take yourself too seriously. Charl Schwartzel (Michael Kors) As we move into the hot and humid months, many of us will be looking to beat the heat by slipping on white shirts and shorts. While head-to-toe white outfits typically scream, “hospital orderly,� Charl Schwartzel’s predominately white kit had just enough navy blue to feel fresh and athletic for a warm day on the links. By the way, this is the one time you want to wear a white belt. Jonas Blixt (J.Lindeberg) One of the more artistic looks at TPC Sawgrass was courtesy of Jonas Blixt and J.Lindeberg. Blixt sported one of the polos from the Swedish fashion house’s new Art Polo capsule collection. This polo was created by an artist who sketched the design by hand and used a deep ink saturation technique to make it appear like the design was painted directly on the shirt. The two X’s symbolize J.Lindeberg’s 20 years in the golf apparel market. Billy Horschel (RLX Ralph Lauren) Any time Billy Horschel tees it up, he is one of the best dressed players. What separates Horschel from the pack is his attention to details. Notice how he matched his belt to his collar in both of these outfits. That is how you take your style game to the next level. Danny Lee (Devereux) Monochromatic grey kits are trickier than they may seem. Wearing the same shade of grey from top to bottom can make your outfits look flat and boring. When wearing grey from head to toe, take a page out of Danny Lee’s fashion playbook and pair a darker shade with a lighter one to add depth and sophistication to your look. PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE: Buy equipment here

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(PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.) — Youth on Course the non-profit organization dedicated to opening doors, supporting dreams and transforming the lives of young people through opportunities on and off the golf course – has named PGA TOUR player Harold Varner III as its first national ambassador. To date, Varner III has contributed to YOC Carolinas through the HV3 Foundation and will be expanding support by substantially funding the Carolinas region’s programming in 2021. In his new role, Varner III serves as an official spokesperson for Youth on Course (YOC) and will advocate for the organization’s mission of providing affordable access to golf and bringing life-changing opportunities to young golfers across the country and in turn, help create a more inclusive and diverse future for the game. “Harold has been a vocal champion of our organization for years, not to mention his significant financial contributions which made a huge difference for young golfers in the Carolinas,” says Adam Heieck, CEO of Youth on Course. “With his community support through the HV3 Foundation and shared goal to grow the game, Harold is the perfect role model to represent Youth on Course on a national scale. We are so proud to have him join our team in an official role.” Varner III created the HV3 Foundation in 2019 to help bring awareness to the rising cost of entry and access in sports and provide kids with affordable opportunities to help negate those challenges. Through personal funding, fundraising, donations and sponsorships, the Foundation has been able to provide financial assistance for equipment, after-school programs, instruction and camps to cultivate young people’s passions. The HV3 Foundation also hosts an annual HV3 Invitational for junior golfers and is the tournament title sponsor for an American Junior Golf Association Junior All-Star event. “Youth on Course is a life-changing program for the golf industry. Allowing kids of all backgrounds to play the game without placing financial burdens on families is a game changer,” says Varner III. “I’m so appreciative of the support I had as a junior golfer and have been fortunate to be able to give back to the next generation of young golfers. I’ve always been passionate about making the game more open and accessible and YOC has shown they share my goals. I’m so excited to be a part of the team and help make a difference for these kids.” Committed to making the game more appealing, inclusive and accessible to nurture the next generation of lifelong players and lovers of the game, Youth on Course provides more than 100,000 members with affordable access to play rounds of golf for $5 or less at more than 1,400 courses across the country and in parts of Canada. Members also benefit from career opportunities through Youth on Course’s caddie and internship programs and can utilize support for continuing education through their college scholarships. To date, more than $2 million has been awarded through the scholarship program. In 2020, Youth on Course saw a significant rise in play with membership increasing by 56% and eclipsing one million rounds of golf played. Fueling the golf industry, 400,000 rounds of golf were subsidized, an increase of 100% from the previous year, and generated a total of $2.8 million back to golf courses from unused tee times. Juniors nationwide ages 6-18 may sign up for a Youth on Course membership at www.youthoncourse.org/join.

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Missing the cut immediately after your first top 10 on the PGA TOUR in 11 months is not usually a recipe for success, but for Rickie Fowler a weekend off in Las Vegas was a blessing in disguise. Fowler was unable to continue his momentum at the Shriners Children’s Open from his season opening T6 at the Fortinet Championship last week but missing out on weekend play at TPC Summerlin allowed the 33-year-old to spend more time with coach Butch Harmon as they rekindle their relationship. The results were on show in Japan as Fowler backed up his opening 67 with a bogey free 7-under 63 in the second round to join a share of the lead at 10 under with Andrew Putnam. It’s the 11th 36-hole lead of his career and first since The American Express in January of 2020. Fowler recently returned to Harmon, the man who helped him from an early age with his swing, after a three-year run with John Tillery. While he was unable to contend for the Shriners title last week, the 2015 PLAYERS champion was able to get some much-needed personal time with the veteran coach in Las Vegas as a result of his free weekend. The two have been working on a steeper left arm plane to get Fowler’s hands higher at the top and the club in a better position which gives him more room and space and makes his swing more efficient. “The last two days I wouldn’t say I had my best swing wise. I kind of did a good job of managing my way around,” Fowler said. “But I’ll get some work in tomorrow before the round and try and exaggerate a few things where I’m a little bit tighter in lines and flights that I want. But I can’t complain about a 63. “I’m very happy with where we’re at. Obviously didn’t have the week we wanted last week, drove it poorly, but with some of the changes we’ve made and to have the finish that we did at Napa and kind of seeing a lot of good things, I’m definitely happy about it and excited to be here and off to a good start.” In Japan on a sponsor invite after missing the FedExCup Playoffs in 2021 and barely scraping in in 2022, Fowler has eaten Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club’s five par 3’s alive, playing them six under par through two rounds with seven birdies and one bogey. While Fowler is popular everywhere around the globe, his Japanese heritage via his grandfather certainly helped elevate his support. “I definitely enjoy myself over here and the people are awesome. It is really cool to play in front of the Japanese fans,” he said. “Hoping we can give them more good golf over the weekend.”

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