Adam Scott, Keith Mitchell, and Jason Day have been recognized as the best-dressed golfers on the PGA Tour, according to a recent survey of their peers. This shift towards individuality in golf fashion is gaining traction as players seek to break away from traditional styles.
Key points
Adam Scott and Keith Mitchell ranked first and second in best-dressed voting
Jason Day is also recognized for his unique style
Golf fashion is shifting towards individuality
Many players are tired of traditional performance fabrics
Billy Horschel highlighted the issue of interchangeable looks
Adam ScottKeith MitchellJason DayBilly Horschel
Much like a short par 4, being one of the best-dressed players in golf comes with an element of risk and reward. Unlike most of us trying out those new pleated slacks, however, Adam Scott, Keith Mitchell and Jason Dayâs style statements arenât made in anonymity but on the gameâs biggest stages. They pull up to the first tee in never-before-seen looks, partner with apparel brands outside of the traditional golf ecosystem and invite conversation, praise and criticism along the way. While other players continue to recycle the same formula of performance fabrics, slim silhouettes and loud prints, this trio is bringing individuality back to the course and helping golf fashion reconnect with its soul.
The results of our most recent survey of PGA Tour pros about who is best dressed make it clear that this shift is having an impact. Adam Scott and Keith Mitchell finished first and second in the voting (Mitchell won our inaugural award in 2024), with Jason Day not too far behind, showing that even fellow tour players are growing weary of the copy-and-paste looks that have dominated the fairways for more than a decade. Third-place finisher Billy Horschel called out the problemâtoo many guys look interchangeable out here. As Scott, Mitchell and especially Day bring individuality back into focus, more players are turning to them for inspiration.
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Of course, standing out doesnât necessarily mean getting it right. For every bold success story, there are countless players who have dared to be different and found themselves on the wrong side of golf fashion. What separates Scott, Mitchell and Day from the rest is not only their distinct points of view but their execution.
Together, they offer three different answers to the question: What is golf fashion today? The real takeaway is that players can provide multiple correct answers. From the PGA Tour to your local course and even on YouTube, golf style feels less like a uniform and more like a statement thanks to these three fashion trailblazers, among others.
Malbon Birds of Georgia Ridge Anorak and Magnolia Pant.
Jason Day is the disruptor. His style is bold, expressive and, at times, divisive. No player is moving the golf fashion needle quite like Day. Together with Malbon, he is challenging the status quo while creating a buzz on the fairways and social media.
Unlike his countryman Adam Scott, whoâs been a fashion icon since he stepped on tour, Dayâs ascent to the top of the gameâs style scene is more recent. Dayâs split from Nike at the end of 2023 created an opportunity to reinvent his style with Malbon, and the relationship has been a smash hit for both the 2015 PGA Championship winner and the brand. Day gave Malbon awareness and legitimacy with serious golfers, while Malbon gave the 38-year-old Aussie the ability to stand out from the crowd with a one-of-a-kind look.
Dayâs move wasnât just a wardrobe change, though. It completely shook up the golf-style landscape. He fully embraced Malbonâs streetwear-inspired aesthetic, signaling a break from the athleisure-heavy looks that have ruled the tour for years. In doing so, Day has become the face of a new era where casual, street-style vibes are no longer frowned upon. Instead, theyâre redefining the look of the game.
Jason Day was by far the most polarizing player in our poll.
If this feels familiar, it should. Twenty years ago, Jesper Parnevik and J.Lindeberg sparked a golf-fashion movement with slim-fit trousers, bold color-blocked polos and statement-making belt buckles. Now, Day and Malbon are pulling off a similar move but in the opposite direction, with relaxed proportions and straight-leg pants with fuller breaks.
Like Scott and Mitchell, Day is very intentional with his style. He is dressing less like a sponsored athlete and more like your cool buddy who is plugged into modern fashion trends. Heâs the kind of player who understands the finer details and knows how to use elements like texture, volume and drape to take his looks to another level.
Of course, there is a touch of irreverence to Dayâs style that screams âGolf apparel can be anything it wants to be today!â As with any good disruptor, Day has ruffled some feathers along the way, such as the so-called âbanned sweater vestâ at the Masters, the groutfit sweatsuit at Pebble Beach and the large logo that had to be taped over at Torrey Pines.
The waves Day has been making havenât been limited to apparel, either. While rebooting his wardrobe, he opted against the typical sporty wraparound sunglasses in favor of more fashionable tortoise-shell frames.
In 2024, Day also took an equity stake in rising footwear brand PAYNTR. With Day actively involved in the design and testing process, PAYNTR has quickly built momentum by engineering shoes around biomechanics and ground-force research tailored for the modern swing, then wrapping all that performance in a clean aesthetic. Subtle style details, like gator-print mud guards, add an edge while keeping the look more sophisticated than a sneaker.
What makes Dayâs story so compelling is the timing. Golf fashion has never had more influence from more diverse cultures. As a result, it has never had this number of options. His style isnât just about personal expression but a glimpse into where golf fashion is headed. The future is wide open for players and brands to redefine what golf apparel and footwear look like, and Day is pushing that narrative forward.
While Day is setting trends, Keith Mitchell is reviving them. There is no doubt that golf fashion is experiencing a period of nostalgia, and no one is channeling those iconic tour vibes with more confidence and taste than Mitchell. His references are pulled from golf fashionâs glory days and big personalities like Seve Ballesteros and Arnold Palmer.
What makes Mitchellâs transformation even more impressive is where he started. Like Day, the end of a Nike contract opened the door for Mitchell to develop his own distinctive style. This path took him to American menswear designer Sid Mashburn. Mitchell, 34, frequently shopped Mashburnâs stores for his off-course wardrobe, and together they crafted an on-course collection that reads like a greatest-hits album of golf style. The tab-waisted trousers are a nod to the â70s, the extended-placket cotton polos bring back the clean, sporty feel of the â60s and the high-crown tour visors deliver old-school â80s cool.
While most of the tour is still locked into performance fabrics, Mitchell has gone in the opposite direction. His looks are based on menswear tradition and built on natural materials, classic silhouettes and a level of restraint that feels almost rebellious in todayâs era of loud prints. The result is clothing that moves beautifully, breathes naturally and looks intentional rather than manufactured.
On tour, game respects game and style respects style, and Mitchellâs fashion renaissance hasnât gone unnoticed by his peers. When asked about the PGA Tourâs best-dressed players, this yearâs survey winner, Scott, didnât hesitate to name Mitchell. âI think Keith makes a great effort with his clothing, and I think heâs got a very modern take on a traditional style.â
Keith Mitchell has nearly singlehandedly brought back the single-pleat pant on tour.
Mitchellâs superpower is his commitment to subtlety. His color palette lives mostly in neutral huesâsoft creams, warm browns, dusty blues and muted greens. This allows him to mix and match effortlessly while keeping his fits cohesive. When he does introduce a pop of color, it is never loud or flashy. From a distance, his outfits appear simple, but up close, they reveal subtle plaids, seersucker textures and pique cottons that add depth and dimension.
Then there are the trousers. Mitchell has nearly single-handedly brought back the single-pleat pant on tour. These arenât the baggy pants of the â80s, though. His are straight and tailored to perfection with the hems just grazing the tops of his shoes. Mitchellâs wardrobe feels elegant and grown up. Tying it all together are FootJoy Premiere Series shoes, which put a modern spin on the classic saddle shoe and brogue that perfectly jibes with his old-school aesthetic.
Of course, the high-crown visor has become the signature piece of Mitchellâs looks. No one else wears it with the same flair. On some players, it might feel like part of a costume, but on Mitchell, it feels authentic. Itâs the exclamation point on his style statement that pulls it all together.
While Mitchell and Day made calculated reboots of their wardrobes to climb the tourâs best-dressed list, Adam Scott, 45, has been turning fairways into runways since he turned professional at age 20. Early in his career, his style felt as unattainable as his swing for the average golfer, with fashion houses like Burberry, J.Lindeberg and Acquascutum dressing the Aussie in their luxurious threads.
That shifted on the eve of the 2013 Masters when Scott signed on to become the face of the new UNIQLO golf collection. In a dream scenario, he slipped on the green jacket that same week, and neither the brand nor the player has looked back. Six years later, the partnership pushed boundaries even further when Scott took another gamble and teed it up in wide-pleated trousers at the peak of the slim-fit era.
That week quietly remapped Scottâs fashion journey. Since then, he has leaned into more relaxed silhouettes, creating a look that he owns. Itâs a vision rooted in a modern-classic philosophy, one that views the elegance of earlier eras when silhouettes were wider and proportions felt intentional, through a contemporary lens. Scott isnât chasing trends. Instead, heâs editing history and making it feel fresh again.
While many assume Scott is channeling Palmer or Hogan from golfâs Golden Era, one of his central reference points is actually a GOAT from a different sport: Michael Jordan. âOccasionally Iâll find a picture of inspiration, and at some point, it was a picture of Michael Jordan golfing in quite baggy trousers. Definitely the wider silhouette, Iâve played in that over the last seven or eight years at majors,â said Scott.
Adam Scottâs golf-fashion ethos is about clothes that perform, cuts that flatter and colors that are timeless.
At its core, Scottâs approach to golf fashion is simple: Look good, feel good, play good. That mindset aligns perfectly with UNIQLOâs quiet-luxury DNA, allowing Scott to turn everyday pieces into sophisticated looks. If there is a lesson from Scottâs style for the everyday golfer, itâs that the best wardrobes are built on timeless foundations.
âA lot of people who know UNIQLO have staples in their wardrobe from the brand. It is always on point. It is never really a trend, and thatâs suited my style,â explained Scott.
That sense of effortless refinement gives his looks just enough of a modern edge to feel current. Theyâre anchored by clean lines, solid-on-solid combinations and neutral tones like charcoal, navy and beige. Itâs a palette that may seem safe, but when wielded correctly, it can appear polished and effortless. Those rock-solid foundations allow Scott, like Mitchell, to easily mix and match tops and bottoms to keep his fits looking fresh.
At the same time, Scott understands how fabric choices shape performance and presence. His luxurious blends add structure to support his relaxed silhouettes, while still stretching and breathing without ever looking technical. Whereas many players let logos do the talking, Scott and UNIQLO keep the branding to a minimum, letting proportions, tailoring and overall composition take center stage.
Scottâs style is smart and subtle but most importantly, for the average golfer looking for inspiration, seriously wearable. His golf-fashion ethos is about clothes that perform, cuts that flatter and colors that are timeless. He is proof that when simplicity is executed properly, it can be the strongest statement of all.
Look closely at these three players. Itâs clear that golf fashion isnât about unbreakable rules anymore. Itâs about identity. Itâs about knowing who you are and what you represent, and dressing in a way that reinforces your point of view. Scott, Mitchell and Day are bringing their own personalities and interpretations of what golf fashion is to the course, while inspiring players of all abilities to express themselves.
