Harman handles elements, wins Texas Open by 3

Hello friends. The Masters is one of the biggest weeks on the golf calendar, and that’s true for golf fashion as well. With so many eyes on Augusta National, companies know this is an important opportunity to make a statement. One article of clothing – the coveted champion’s Green Jacket – may stand out above the rest, but there will be a lot of noteworthy looks at Augusta National before someone slips on golf’s most famous coat come Sunday. Players want to look their best, as well, as millions of fans tune in to watch them play, so let’s take a look at some of the top fashion at this year’s Masters. TIGER’S FOOTJOYS Tiger Woods’ shoes have been one of the biggest stories of the week. The longtime Nike ambassador shocked the golf world when he arrived at Augusta National wearing a pair of FootJoy Premier Series Packard shoes. As they say in the design world, form follows function and Woods said that was the reason for the switch. “I needed something different, … more stable,” he said, to support his surgically-repaired right foot. The FootJoy Premier Series Packard is by far one of the most classic shoes on TOUR, but it’s also packed with tons of tech. That’s why it’s worn by the likes of Justin Thomas and Adam Scott. I love it because classic wingtip golf shoes immediately come to mind when I think of the Masters. When arguably the greatest golfer alive chooses to wear them over his long-standing brand choice, you know there’s something great about them. FootJoy also debuted this week a partnership with eyewear lifestyle brand Garrett Leight California Optical (GLCO) to create a limited series of sunglasses and footwear that bridges FootJoy’s classic golf wear with GLCO’s easy-going Southern California lifestyle. Fronting the collaboration is a collection of classic Premiere Series golf shoes for men and women with custom tortoise accents. ADIDAS’ FUN AUGUSTA TRIBUTE The Waffle House on Washington Road, located about a mile from Augusta National Golf Club, is a popular spot for patrons. Adidas paid homage to the chain of breakfast restaurants with one of the dopest collaborations I’ve seen in golf to date. We’ve all been on a long road trip and seen the iconic Waffle House sign glowing like a beacon from two exits away. Adidas and Waffle House teamed up to create a “batter-like” colorway inspired by the very batter that is constantly filling waffle irons across the 1,900 Waffle House locations in the US. Then they took the premium, full-grain leather upper and embossed it with “waffle-like” squares. You could say this is a match made for Augusta! Fun fact: Georgia has the most Waffle Houses in the U.S. with 422 locations. Sergio Garcia even wore these unique shoes in the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday. RAHM GOES GREEN Travis Mathew continues to show up as one of golf’s emerging and leading apparel brands. Founded in 2007, the brand draws its inspiration from Southern California lifestyle and culture, an ethos that speaks directly to defending U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, who’s had plenty of success in San Diego. When I asked Ben Donnelly, Travis Mathew’s VP of design, about Rahm’s favorite color palette this is what he had to say: “Originally he loved the all-over printed styles like florals and geos that we’ve sort of re-invented that are really the fun pieces in the line.” You could say Rahm has a thing for azaleas and dogwoods. Could this be Rahm’s year? BRYSON’S BUCKETS They say fashion is what you’re the most confident and comfortable in. Who shows that better than Bryson Dechambeau, who has a look particular to himself. Dubbed the “A Gust O’ Wind Collection,” this latest major drop from Puma Golf will be worn at Augusta National by DeChambeau. While DeChambeau is more interested in the way his clothes – like his clubs – perform, and less on how they look, this line features fun patterns. When I asked Chris MacNeill, head of golf apparel and accessories at Puma, about what inspired some of the collection, he recalled the moment when DeChambeau was caught spraying golf balls with water on the driving range to test how they’d perform in wet conditions. That moment was the inspiration for the “Pouring Buckets” polo. All it takes is a gust of wind to go from in the hunt to the back of the pack. SPIETH’S SCRIPTING Basics are the core of everyone’s wardrobe. You can dress them up or down depending on your accessories. “Back to basics” has been Jordan Spieth’s motto coming into the Masters. Under Armour’s play on “basics,” according to director of Under Armour golf apparel, Patricia Li, will feature “blue and green mixed with his signature navy – and polos offering featuring a mix of bold blocking, athletic stripes, and whimsical prints.” JORDAN’S GREEN AND GOLD Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” could go down as one of his most masterful performances in the NBA Finals. The Jordan BRED XII fueled his 44 minutes, including the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 25 seconds left. The two Jordan Brand athletes in the Masters field – Harold Varner III and Bubba Watson – will summon some of “His Airness” with their Jordan XII’s designed specifically for Masters week. The colorway of these shoes pay homage to the original XII with gold hardware and touches of Augusta green. As the 2022 Masters gets underway, you could say that Augusta National is the runway, or perhaps fairway, for the fashion of golf’s elite. And, of course, we all know a green jacket can elevate anyone’s look.

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MEDINAH, Ill. — Hideki Matsuyama has never missed the TOUR Championship since his first full year on the PGA TOUR. He played Friday like he doesn’t want the streak to end. Outside the top 30 in the FedExCup for the first time at the BMW Championship, Matsuyama made five birdie putts from 15 feet or longer and broke the course record at Medinah with a 9-under 63 for a one-shot lead going into the weekend. He started his second round with a 30-foot birdie putt. He ended the round with a 30-foot birdie putt. The explanation for what went right wasn’t that long. “I did make a lot of long putts today, and that was the difference,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. That was a big difference for Tiger Woods, too. He made only two putts longer than 6 feet, made a pair of bogeys from the bunkers late in the round and had to settle for another 71. Woods, who needs a top 10 to advance to the TOUR Championship, was tied for 49th. “I left quite a few shots out there,” Woods said. Matsuyama was at 12-under 132, one shot ahead of Patrick Cantlay (67) and Tony Finau (66). Justin Thomas made six birdies to offset three bogeys in his round of 69, leaving him two shots behind. Cantlay, Finau and Thomas are all assured of being among the top 30 who advance to the TOUR Championship next week, where everyone in the field will have a shot at winning the FedExCup and the $15 million prize. Matsuyama won four times on the Japan Golf Tour as a rookie after he graduated college, and then won the Memorial in 2014 and narrowly got into the FedExCup finale at East Lake. But he has gone two years without winning, and Friday was the first time he has led after any round since his most recent victory at Firestone in the Bridgestone Invitational. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in contention,” Matsuyama said. “Hopefully, I can play well. I’ve been struggling for a while this year. Hopefully, that can turn around and I’ll have a good weekend.” Cantlay has gone 36 holes at Medinah with only one bogey, and key to his round was avoid one late. His tee shot on the 320-yard 15th caught enough of the wind that bounded right into the water. He took his penalty dropped, chipped to 8 feet and saved par, got up-and-down on the next hole and then finished with two more good putts, one for birdie and another for par. “Any time you make a par after hitting the ball in the water it’s good,” he said. “It gave me some nice momentum to close out the round.” Lucas Glover (69) and Rory Sabbatini (68) were among the group at 9-under 135, both suddenly in range of the top 30. Woods won the TOUR Championship last year, capping a remarkable return from four back surgeries with his first victory in five years. It was an extraordinary afternoon considering where he had been, a moment topped in Georgia some six months later when he won the Masters. But after he pulled out at Liberty National last week citing a mild oblique strain, he slipped 10 spots to No. 38. And while it was a mild surprise when he showed up at Medinah, he’s going the wrong direction in the FedExCup. He isn’t ruling out a return to the TOUR Championship to defend his title, but he’s running out of time and not making enough birdies. Woods hit it to tap-in range on the 11th, and then ran off birdies on the 14th and 15th hole to slowly get back into the picture at Medinah. And then he made consecutive bogeys from the bunker, had to settle for another 71 and was right back where he started. “I’m going to have to have a great weekend and make a lot of birdies and post some rounds in the mid-60s to give myself a chance at it,” Woods said. “Putt well and I’ll shoot good scores. I haven’t done that.” Jordan Spieth also is on the verge of ending a second straight season without a victory, and without a trip to East Lake. He made progress at Liberty National with a tie for sixth, and he needs another finish like that to crack the top 30. He did not need to chop his way to a double bogey on the par-3 eighth that left him at the bottom of the pack. Spieth rallied with five birdies on the back nine, and he believes he has the “firepower” to post two low scores and hope it’s enough. There was a realistic side to him Friday, especially after the double bogey, that his season was over because of how he felt over the ball. Yes, he still has an outside chance. But he sure didn’t sound consumed by it. “I’m far enough out that I’m going to sleep at night not expecting to be there,” Spieth said about East Lake. “It’s not where I want to live, but it’s where I am.”

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