Fashion Insider: Top 10 dressers in the Playoffs

text size

Sommers/Getty Images

Camilo Villegas cuts a dashing figure in his J Lindeberg clothes. No doubt his fashion script for the Playoffs will be tough to beat.

Editor's note: Say hello to PGATOUR.COM's newest columnist, the cryptically nicknamed Man in the Black Hat, who will write a weekly fashion column focusing on TOUR players and the apparel they wear out on the course. For more of the Man in the Black Hat, you can visit his website, chapeaunoirgolf.com.

With the regular season at an end, and the rankings solidified heading into the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the Man in the Black Hat thought it to be an appropriate time to take a look at the top 125 from a completely different perspective.

Fashion.

Which is after all, what the Man in the Black Hat is all about. While most of us will never be mistaken for one who plays like a pro, we all have the potential to look like one. And at times, that's more than half the battle.

So of the top 125 players eligible to play in The Barclays this week, here are the 10 who top the Black Hat's best-dressed list.

While there are some obvious candidates for the top position, others on the list may come as a surprise, which is all part of the fun. Though the rankings are subjective, some ground rules had to be set before evaluation could begin.

Anyone caught wearing a bucket hat was immediately disqualified, thus eliminating Ben Crane of Hugo Boss from the mix. Same for anybody wearing coolots, although try as he might, The Black Hat couldn't find anyone in coolots within the top 125 (or elsewhere). Odd.

So, without further adieu, the Black Hat's best dressed rankings.

1. Camilo Villegas
Let's face it, Villegas would look good playing golf in a potato sack or shopping bag. Swedish clothier J Lindeberg takes full advantage of the canvas it has in Villegas on a weekly basis, solidifying the Columbian's top spot. One quibble -- more color, as we saw here from Villegas at the PGA Championship, would be more than welcome, as the constant barrage of whites, greys, and blacks are becoming a bit tedious. See? Even the best-dressed man on TOUR has room to grow.

2. Ian Poulter
Give Poulter full marks for putting his name behind his IJP line, and bonus points for following his fashion heart as he mixes traditional patterns with modern lines and colorways. Unless an unforeseen fashion calamity occurs here at the top, Poulter and Villegas could battle it out for the top spot for years to come.

3. Rickie Fowler
How good does this kid look? So good that Puma Golf has made him the de facto face of their brand, and are merrily riding Fowler's High School Musical casting-call looks all the way to Black Hat's top three. Fowler has shown us he that he certainly isn't afraid of color -- as evidenced by his custom all-orange Sunday attire -- worn in honor of his alma mater, Oklahoma State. If you want to get your hand on a pair of these traffic cone-colored trousers though, you're out of luck, as Puma makes them custom for Fowler alone.

4. Dustin Johnson
Despite his major misfortunes in 2010, Johnson seems to set female hearts a flutter in his Fowler-eque brimmed hat, converting legions of twentysomething weekend warriors to today's sportiest of the sporty golf brands. No one in the adidas Golf set currently rocks the three stripes quite like DJ.

5. Luke Donald
If you were forced to wear one brand for the rest of your golfing and non-golfing life, you would not go wrong choosing the fashion-forward Polo RLX line, as worn by Donald. He always looks nicely put together without looking like he's trying too hard. Well done.

6. Bubba Watson
In 2010, Bubba has upgraded the fit of his apparel more than any other man on TOUR. Full marks to So-Cal based Travis Mathew for latching on to one of the TOUR's most exciting players. In fact, Bubba tweeted on Tuesday that he had become a part-owner of the company. Congrats!

7. Phil Mickelson
It will come as no surprise to many that Phil is all about personalization when it comes to what he's wearing between the ropes. Last reports had Mickelson in custom trousers from fashion designer/movie director Tom Ford, and bespoke polos from Q'aja Couture. Phil takes a few too many knocks, but he stands as a shining example of how a broader gent can get it done with style.

8. Webb Simpson
Ralph Lauren makes a second appearance in the top 10, this time with Webb Simpson in Polo. Webb is an amiable chap who looks to be the personification of the classic All-American brand. So much so that The Black Hat is tempted to invite Webb over to christen his sloop. If he had a sloop. True story.

9. Ryan Moore
Though at times Moore has been criticized for being a bit underdressed, he does his own thing, consistently, and makes no apologies for it. Moore slides into the top 10 on the strength of his Bobby Jones-esque tie/cardigan combo at the Masters. Without an apparel sponsor, Moore has invested in the new entrant golf shoe company TRUE Linkswear, a non-traditional looking shoe that CBS commentator Nick Faldo has described as "boat shoes." Perhaps Sir Nick is cryptically calling out for an invite to a sloop christening as well. Anyone?

10. Ryuji Imada
Ryuji stands apart from his fellow Cutter & Buck-wearing TOUR pros, presenting a very fitted and trim look in opposition to his sized-up apparel teammates. Imada's polos always look shorter in the sleeve, giving him a neat, fitted appearance on course. (Note: Last week's winner at the Wyndham Championship, Arjun Atwal, also wears this Seattle-born brand.)

BLACK HAT TICKER

Will Mackenzie slid out of the top-10 on Sunday's leaderboard at the Wyndham, but he won Black Hat's certificate of achievement in J Lindeberg, squeaking past Scott Piercy in Q'aja ... We certainly know that Ian Poulter wears his own IJP line, but did you know he has others wearing IJP these days? Check out Gary Boyd at the, umm, Czech Open ... If you're not yet doing so, be sure to follow @Ianjamespoulter on Twitter. As he nears one million followers, Poulter is organizing a big giveaway for once he gets over the top involving all of his sponsors, including the newly fused Cobra PUMA, along with Footjoy, Titleist, EASports, Oakley, Woburn GC, and more. Might be "worth the follow" as they say ... Atlanta-based Peter Millar is the designer of record for the 2010 American Ryder Cup Team. Look for more information on Corey Pavin's apparel choices in the coming weeks.

The Man in the Black Hat is a freelance columnist for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.