“I Wasn’t Allowed To’: PGA Tour’s Hypocrisy Over Rickie Fowler Called Out by Golf Veteran

The PGA Tour rules on player appearance allows the participants to express themselves. But it also states: “Players shall present a neat appearance in both clothing and personal grooming. Clothing worn by players shall be consistent with currently accepted golf fashion. The Chief Referee shall interpret this regulation, subject to the approval of the Commissioner.” However, the rules have not limited the ceiling for the golfers, something that can be tricky at times.

One player who the PGA Tour has loved but also wanted to keep away for the very reason is Boo Weekley. The down-to-earth 3x Tour champion was appreciated by the corporate side of the PGA Tour as his ability to create connections and bring in sponsors to promote the game showed his efforts. But he is no short of stories on how the rules of the game haven’t exactly sided with his style. Remember his appearance in the 2002 event?

After years of grind, which saw him become a student of turf grass management and flunk within a year, pressure wash chemical tanks of 1-million-gallon capacity in a Kevlar suit with a hard hat and a face shield, participate in minor league tours or only occasionally go for golfing weekends, he finally qualified for the 2002 PGA Tour. Only, his allergy kept him from wearing cotton, a usual material for the sport played under the sun. Boo’s solution? Camouflage rain pants. PGA Tour’s reaction? Asking him to change his attire.

23 years down the lane, latest in the hot topics for his fashion statement is Rickie Fowler, making his 16th appearance in the WM Phoenix Open. While before taking his game to the TPC Scottsdale Event, he promised to “play better than last year,” it seems like he extended his words to his fashion game as well. When it comes to fashion, Fowler is never “faking it.” As one of the fashion-forward golfers, the 36-year-old has stood out with his Sunday Orange outfit, to give a nod to his Oklahoma State roots, and multiple monochromatic looks. However, instead of popping out against the field, this time he opted to…blend in. Literally!

To kick start WM, Rickie suited up in a camo attire from Puma x Realtree collaboration for Round 1. The outfit with shades of green, tan, and brown completely aligned with his other interest as he gave “hunting for birdies” a new meaning. While his work on the puts didn’t bear any fruits, the efforts on the attire got both positive and negative reactions, something expected unlike his sudden withdrawal. One reaction also came from Boo who has targeted PGA Tour for their biases towards him.

Weekley took to his X account to tweet his reaction to Fowler’s Thursday outfit. He wrote, “It’s a shame that in the mid-2000’s that @PGATOUR told me, made me, change pants because it wasn’t a color! I was sponsored by @MossyOak and @Realtree at different times. Loved both companies and how they were ran. I’m grateful for all the opportunities they gave me.”

Mossy Oak, an outdoor apparel company that deals with camouflage print outfits was sponsoring him at the time. For several years, Weekley was the only golfer they sponsored. “Boo is maybe a better hunter than he is a golfer. He dresses a deer better than anyone I know. And every time he says the word ‘hunting’ on CBS or NBC, it’s a win for us.” Ronald (Cuz) Strickland, a Senior Vice President at Mossy Oak had said long back. And Strickland was spot-on when he mentioned the wins Boo got for Mossy Oak. When he couldn’t wear a camo-pattern apparel on top, Weekley paired a mock tee in shades of green and dark brown under his baby blue-orange polo in 2007. Anything to get the brand promoted, right?

But Weekley is known for his lack of pretense on the golf course, something that is due to his upbringing. Bear-hugging spectators and talking to the fans to hear their stories are some ways that he made sure he gave something memorable to his followers. His association with camo outfits is well-known in the golfing community that after his 2013 PGA Tour victory at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, Adidas made him camouflage shoes to celebrate the victory. Weekley stated in his tweet, “But, I actually wear camo year-round still to this day, whether I’m hunting, fishing or working on my farm. But yet, I wasn’t allowed to wear it to play golf. Until later when I came out with my own clothing line and even then it was just a shirt.”

With his camo style popular with the Boo Crew, Weekley started his own clothing line. However, he is happy that Rickie Fowler is carrying some form of the tradition he imbibed on the Tour, “Rock it @RickieFowler head to toe!” But that was not all from the veteran’s side.

When his decade-old friend, who you can also see in camo caps, Larry The Cable Guy re-tweet with the caption, “This brings a tear to me and @booweekley‘s eyes. God love him!,” Weekley quickly commented, “Yes sir it does @GitRDoneLarry! It’s unreal, you can put camo on a city boy and make him look redneck but when a REAL redneck wears it on the course…..heaven forbid! No disrespect to @RickieFowler but why couldn’t I wear it too???? @PGATOUR”

While Rickie Fowler’s outfit was indeed a bold choice, and something unusual for him, it is not the first time that the PGA Tour has had instances of crazy outfits on the course. It is somewhat of a usual sight on the greens.

Crazy outfits on the PGA Tour

Since Rickie Fowler’s outfit is the talk of the town currently, it is only fair that we start with his previous fashion choices. We have already seen how the Oklahoma State University alum gives a nod to his alma mater by pulling head-to-toe orange attire on Sundays, usually the final day of golf events. This also draws parallels with the legendary Tiger Woods who is known to wear reds on Sundays. But these are not the only popular faces of the game sporting most outrageous looks.

When talking camouflage, some people would also get Bill Murray high in the list. His leady camo rainsuit from the 2012 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was something to look at, paired with green gloves and bright orange shoes.

Fan-favorite John Daly’s unique and quirky ways of dressing are quite well-known. He challenged the norms and traditions again at the 150 Open Championship in 2022 when he was dressed in Hooters-themed bright orange pants.

Jason Day is another big name involved in the outfit game. His association with Malbon Golf is slowly becoming iconic. Who could forget his controversial sweater at the Masters Championship in 2024 that he had to take off? His colorful sweaters aside, the Australian golfer recently got the brunt of fans’ criticisms after wearing grey sweatpants during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

What do you think of Fowler’s new outfit choice? What is your outfit choice when teeing off?