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PGA Tour: Let shorts into the Dress Code for the professionals

By Christopher O'Day

JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 17: Rory McIlroy of the American Nurses Foundation team and Dustin Johnson of the American Nurses Foundation team react on the 17th tee after winning the closest to the pin playoff against Rickie Fowler of the CDC Foundation team and Matthew Wolff of the CDC Foundation team during the TaylorMade Driving Relief Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17, 2020 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
JUNO BEACH, FLORIDA - MAY 17: Rory McIlroy of the American Nurses Foundation team and Dustin Johnson of the American Nurses Foundation team react on the 17th tee after winning the closest to the pin playoff against Rickie Fowler of the CDC Foundation team and Matthew Wolff of the CDC Foundation team during the TaylorMade Driving Relief Supported By UnitedHealth Group on May 17, 2020 at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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PGA Tour events can get up to some pretty high temperatures. For the sake of the players, the tour should allow them to wear shorts.

We saw this during the Taylormade Driving Relief event. The guys were out there wearing shorts and rightfully so. They are down in Florida, where you know it is nice and warm out, so why not throw on shorts. The rest of the PGA Tour should be allowed to do this under the right circumstances.

I’m not saying that people should be allowed to wear shorts whenever they want. There is no need for throwing them on when it is 45 degrees out. That wouldn’t look professional.

I think back to a rule that we had in high school for baseball, and I think that it can translate nicely here to the world of professional golf. If it was over 75 degrees out (or maybe 70, It’s been about 15 years so I don’t fully remember), then we were allowed to take our long sleeves off. In baseball, the reason for this was wanting to keep your arm, and specifically your elbow, nice and warm.

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You could do something similar for the pros. If the forecast for that day says that it is supposed to be above 75 degrees (or whatever Jay Monahan decides), then the players would be able to wear shorts if they chose to do so for that day.

A lot of the time, it isn’t an issue to have on pants. A nice pair of golf pants aren’t that heavy, and you can make it through your round fine while wearing them. You aren’t carrying your bag (even though Rory, DJ, Wolff, and Rickie were), so you shouldn’t sweat too badly.

The days where it gets up into the 90’s though… or even higher? There is no reason at all that they should be forced to wear pants. Part of my reasoning on this comes from where I live in Northwest Washington. Lots of rain and moderate temperatures. If it gets above 60, people show up in shorts and polos with no undershirts.

I know this isn’t the same for everyone. If you have grown up, or even live in a place where it is constantly warm, you are probably in a different boat. Maybe 60 is “cold” for you, as I have heard from a few people before.

That’s why giving the players an option once it hits a certain threshold should be something that is instituted. Do you think it’s fair for a guy who grew up in a cold-weather area to have to play in pants at an event over the summer where it is 100+ degrees out? I don’t think so.

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When it comes down to it, let the players find that mix of being comfortable and looking professional. All four at the Taylormade event did, and there is no reason that the rest of the players on the PGA Tour wouldn’t as well.

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