Michelle Wie wore an outfit (above) during the first round of the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s Champions event that would get women in trouble at the vast majority of private golf courses.
It’s certainly athletic, something you’d see tennis players wearing, and runners, gym-goers, and yoga-class-takers would all wear that top. But it’s not what we’ve historically thought of as a women’s golf outfit. The skirt is pretty short, and the top is sleeveless, racerback, and collarless.
But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
Long skirts can be annoying in how they move when you swing. Short skirts just make more sense from a mobility standpoint.
The best argument I can see against the top would be sun protection. Collars on golf shirts do a lot to keep the back of your neck safe from the sun beating down on it all round. But if you’re going to apply sunscreen in the absence of a collar, then go nuts. Wear a collarless shirt.
And if you’re in Singapore like Wie is, playing in high humidity and 35-degree heat, anything that’s going to keep you cooler is a good thing, which is likely why she opted for a tank top.
Not to pull the ‘as a woman’ card, but as a woman, I’ve showed up to more than a few golf courses in shorts that hit mid-thigh, just to be sent over to the pro shop to purchase knee-length shorts. If the best players in the world can play in the type of athletic apparel Wie’s wearing, why can’t the rest of the female golfing population have the option, too?
When it comes to modernising what’s acceptable to wear while playing golf, the LPGA is moving at a faster pace than the rest of the golf world. And we should start catching up.
