Hatton shrugs as dress code row extends to socks: ‘I don’t see the issue’
By Alex Perry
The Tyrrell Hatton hoodie row rumbles on, and can anyone beat Phil Mickelson on the Champions Tour? Alex Perry wraps up the week’s tour news in The Slam
A week on and we’re still talking about THAT Tyrrell Hatton hoodie. One golf club even sent a note to its members to explain that hoodies are not acceptable golf attire – before hilariously comparing them to “designer ripped jeans” in a sentence that was definitely written by man who hasn’t worn anything designer since donning a pair of flares at a Bee Gees gig.
A jet-lagged Hatton, of course, was asked about it when he arrived in Vegas for the CJ Cup hours after his BMW PGA Championship win.
So was he surprised?
“A little bit,” he said. “Mainly because I’m not the first person to wear a hoodie.”
On tour, he means, with Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Erik van Rooyen among those to don the extra neck wear.
Hatton added: “It’s crazy the amount of people that obviously don’t agree with it. If it looks smart and you’re comfortable to play in it, then I really don’t see what the issue is.
“And it’s funny, I reckon half the guys, if they put that hoodie on and swung a golf club, they’d love it. They’re realise how nice it is and how easy it is to swing in it. It’s not like your standard casual fashion hoodie – they’re the ones that are really soft, very stretchy, so movement is not an issue.”
If the golf doesn’t work out he’s got a job for life in the Adidas PR department.
- Related: The best golf hoodies you can buy
And that wasn’t it for the dress code row. It blew up again in the week when Australian broadcaster Ewan Porter found himself in that classic wrong socks pickle.
Whatever your views on this – and yes, I do believe a private members’ clubs should be allowed to set whatever rules they want, however ridiculous and/or archaic – can we please stop using it as a stick with which to beat our beautiful sport?
It’s like you’ve never even attempted to get into a polo club.
Anyway, here’s what’s going down on tour in the last seven days…
Kokrak off the mark
Twelve years after turning pro and eight years after joining the PGA Tour, Jason Kokrak has his first win at the age of 35 after more than 200 attempts.
The Canadian-born American – which I’m only putting because I just foun out – put on a putting display to die for in a final-round 64 that held off Xander Schauffele. Stones.
Related: What’s in Kokrak’s bag?
Tyrrell Hatton finished in a tie for 3rd, which is ridiculous given he won last week on the other side of the planet. He also had an all-time club throw…
Mickelson stays 100% in the over-50s
Phil Mickelson only turned 50 four months ago but he already has two Champions Tour wins on his CV.
It was a good decision by Mickelson, who joked that the only reason he chose another week knocking about on the senior circuit was because the PGA Tour event was being held at Shadow Creek.
You see, the last time he was at the Las Vegas track was when he beat Tiger Woods in the first edition of The Match, and with it the $9 million prize.
“Even if I beat all 78 guys, it would still be a letdown,” Mickelson explained from the Country Club of Virginia. “I made so much more last time I played, that I just didn’t see the benefit. Sorry.”
Mickelson will get two more events in ahead of the Masters in November – next week’s Zozo Championship in California, and the Houston Open, which incidentally will be the first event since the pause for the pandemic to allow fans, with 2,000 tickets up for sale each day.
- Related: What’s in Mickelson’s bag?
The Match returns – but there’s no Tiger
The Match 3 will go ahead on Thanksgiving – that’s the last Thursday of November, if you’re not American – and, according to Sportico, Tiger Woods will not be involved.
NFL legend Peyton Manning, who played in the second iteration in May, is back, and joining the fun are basketball gods Steph Curry and Charles Barkley.
Let’s hope Sir Charles has worked been working on his swing…
Wallace ousted by speedy Otaegui
Before Sunday, Adrian Otaegui was best known for two things: Having two European Tour wins under his belt but none in a 72-hole stroke play event (he won the 2017 Paul Lawrie Match Play and the 2018 Belgian Knockout), and being outed by not one but two players for being, quote, “a tortoise”.
Well he’s fixed one of those with a victory at the inaugural Scottish Championship on Sunday.
The Spaniard’s stunning 63 at Fairmont St Andrews meant he denied overnight leader Matt Wallace the chance to make it three English winners in a row on this side of the Atlantic.
Still, we’ll always have Wallace’s dance moves…
Finally, if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out this frankly ridiculous shot by Paul Waring on the opening day.
That’s enough for me. See you next week, when we’ll probably be talking about Tiger’s return.
I know, I know. You “don’t care”. Sure.
That’s enough from me. Head over to Twitter if you fancy a chat.
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
