Inside the Field: Sony Open in Hawaii

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – From joggers and soft pastels, to the return of the ’90s, we review the hottest styles from PGA TOUR players at the PGA Championship.  The Power of Three ‘90s fashions continue to influence golf apparel in 2019. As a result, tri-color-blocked polos have been gaining in popularity. Adding one of these to your summer wardrobe will not only put you on trend for the season, but the wide, high contrast panels will make a powerful statement. To execute the look, match your shorts or pants to one of the three colors in the shirt. For an even smoother look, match them to lowest block of the shirt, as Brooks Koepka (Nike Golf) and Rickie Fowler (Puma Golf) did. King of the Jungle While the ‘90s are influencing golf apparel, sneaker culture is having a strong influence on golf footwear. Nike dropped its Safari ‘Bred’ Pack of footwear to kick off the tournament, and it was the talk of Bethpage Black. Inspired by New York’s concrete jungle, the safari print was combined with Nike’s iconic black and red colorway. While the entire pack was unique and eye-catching, Jason Day’s Air Max 1G shoe was the best of the bunch. Warning Signs Nike wasn’t the only shoe brand having fun this week. Puma and FootJoy also stepped up with special edition kicks, both playing off Bethpage Black’s infamous ‘Warning Sign’ behind the first tee. Rickie Fowler added a bit of fire to the fairways with this jet black and bright fuchsia colorway of his IGNITE PROADAPT shoe adorned with warning icons. Ian Poulter took a more understated approach with red “WARNINGâ€� text printed on his Pro/SL. Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Not often do world-class players make shoe changes prior to major championships, but Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson made significant switches at Bethpage. Rose moved to Nike’s Roshe G Tour. The cleated shoe was inspired by Nike’s popular streetwear model. DJ, who has worn various cleated models of Adidas’ Tour360 shoe in recent years, laced up a spikeless trainer-style shoe from the three-stripes brand. The adiPure SP gave Dustin a more casual look on the course. Jog On Joggers aren’t for everyone. For those that can pull them off, they do offer a fresh and modern vibe on the course. Plus, they allow the ankles to breathe in the warmer months. Kelly Kraft and Erik van Rooyen (Greyson Clothiers) both wore them to perfection. Kraft paired his joggers with a trainer-style shoe from G/FORE for an ultra-modern look. van Rooyen blended classic and contemporary styles by pairing his with old-school brogues from FootJoy. Spring Has Sprung Billy Horschel (Ralph Lauren) showed us how to dress for an extended golf weekend this spring. The spectrum of soft pastels provided crisp and refreshing looks throughout the tournament. The range of colors synced nicely with navy blue, making layering easy.

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If there’s one thing you need to tame TPC Sawgrass, it’s a well-rounded game. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Webb Simpson excelled in every area during his four-shot victory at THE PLAYERS Championship. Simpson led the field in driving accuracy (82 percent) with five metalwoods in the bag, including a Titleist 917D2 driver that replaced his 917D3 during the Honda Classic. Simpson tried Graphite Design’s Tour AD 125 TX that week before eventually settling on the shaft manufacturer’s Tour AD IZ 5 X model at the WGC-Mexico Championship. “His driver was worn over the last few months and one of the most important things was finding a shaft and head combination that maximized distance and control,” said Titleist Tour rep J.J. VanWezenbeeck. “The Titleist 917D2 driver and [TourAD] IZ 5 shaft allowed him to get a little longer and still have the control he was seeking.” Another unique nugget regarding Simpson’s setup is that he employs two hybrids with different shaft materials. His 20-degree Titleist 913Hd has a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105X Hybrid graphite shaft, while the 23.5-degree 915Hd features True Temper’s Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 — the same steel shaft he employs in his irons. “The biggest thing for Webb is that he doesn’t mind how many headcovers are in his bag,” said Titleist Tour rep J.J. VanWezenbeeck. “He knows his ball flight and hitting his number matters most.” The 32-year-old also led the field in strokes gained: putting (plus 9.368) with Odyssey’s Tank Cruiser V Line Long putter. The former anchor user was forced to give up his belly putter at the beginning of 2016 and spent time working with a conventional-length model before settling on the 44-inch long model. With a claw grip that was suggested by former anchored putting user Tim Clark, Simpson rests the Odyssey Arm Lock grip against his forearm — a setup that was popularized by Matt Kuchar and remains legal under the anchor ban. Here’s a look at Simpson’s entire equipment setup.   Driver: Titleist 917D2 (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 5X shaft), 9.5 degrees 3-wood: TaylorMade (Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei CK Pro 70TX shaft), 15 degrees 5-wood: Titleist 913Fd (UST Mamiya Proforce VTS 8TX shaft), 18 degrees Hybrid: Titleist 913Hd (Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105X Hybrid shaft), 20 degrees, Titleist 915Hd (True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft), 23.5 degrees Irons: Titleist 718 MB (5-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts) Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (54-14F degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft), Titleist Vokey Design 2017 Prototype (60-06K degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft) Putter: Odyssey Tank Cruiser V Line Long (44 inches) Ball: Titleist Pro V1  

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CROMWELL, Conn. – Give yourself a gold star – heck, two or three gold stars – if you can remember that time from 11 years ago when we had Zack Sucher sharing a golf stage with Andrew Putnam. It was the 33rd U.S. vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship at Tokyo Golf Club and while the 37-23 victory that Sucher and Putnam and teammates such as Kevin O’Connell, Lizette Salas and Sydnee Michaels recorded gathered very little fanfare, it served as a launching pad for pro golf careers that have been a series of ups and downs. The most recent upswing? This week’s Travelers Championship where the 32-year-old Sucher – he of the last-minute spot in the field via the sponsor’s invite to a Korn Ferry Tour member – had an eagle and three birdies over his final six holes at TPC River Highlands to shoot a second-round 5-under 65 to push to 11-under 129. That Sucher’s lead was threatened by Putnam, who started his second round in the afternoon with five birdies in seven holes before cooling off, was secondary to this storyline: Where has Zack Sucher been and what is he doing in contention at the Travelers Championship? The smile and Sucher’s answer provided a lot of insight. “First year I can remember in a long time where I’m pain-free and it’s feeling really good. It’s nice to be out here,� said Sucher, who missed the cut in a Korn Ferry Tour stop in Springfield, Ill., and drove here, assuming he had a good chance to get that sponsor’s spot. His gut feeling has played out nicely, in stark contrast to the way his life has gone since he left the Travelers Championship in 2017. He missed the cut, played in an outing, but had had enough of constant pain in his left leg. He knew the knee was an issue, but it turns out “his ankle was a mess,� said his wife, Courtney. Major surgery on the ankle and the knee sidelined Sucher for more than a year and the return to competition has been a mixed bag. In 10 Korn Ferry Tour tournaments Sucher has two top 10s, but in three PGA TOUR starts he’s missed one cut and finished T-35 and T-50. In other words, nothing to make Sucher feel that he was ready to break out at TPC River Highlands, but he’s played plenty of competitive golf to know it’s a landscape that cannot be explained. “The last few years I had on the (Korn Ferry Tour) were a bit of a struggle,� said Sucher, who has a win and 13 other top 10s on that circuit. “And every time I made it here (he’s had PGA TOUR status in 2015 and 2017), it seemed the harder I worked, the more the left leg would hurt.� An Atlanta native who played at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Sucher gushes about doctors who repaired “two ligaments and a tendon in the ankle� and his knee problems. He even got plantar fasciitis in his right foot, said Courtney, shaking her head, recalling the mishap that occurred when her husband was shooting hoops during recovery. That injury probably wouldn’t surprise those who know that Sucher was a high school basketball standout at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Mobile, Ala., and were he “a foot taller,� golf might not have been his calling. But at 6-foot, 210 pounds, Sucher faded from hoops and settled into this competitive PGA TOUR landscape. Despite all the missed cuts and surgeries and tough times, Sucher can smile, and so can Courtney, who has walked 36 holes in wet, muddy conditions to watch her husband make 12 birdies against one lone bogey. Months ago he wasn’t sure he’d play again on the PGA TOUR and seven days ago he wasn’t sure he had a spot in this field, yet here he is, No. 505 in the world, setting the pace that those in the top 10, and everyone else, are trying to keep pace with. The beauty of sports, so unscripted and unexplainable, eh? “Absolutely. It feels great,� said Sucher, whose best finish in 35 PGA TOUR tournaments across three seasons is a tie for 20th at the 2015 Barracuda Championship. “A lot of work to be done, but right now it’s feeling great.�

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