Inspired by an odd collision of streetwear and Americana, golf is undergoing a fashion revolution. Led by the likes of Jason Day, Keith Mitchell and Viktor Hovland (by way of the oft-controversial J. Lindeberg), the PGA Tour looks cleaner, cooler and more inclusive than it has in decades. This, however, well, this is something else.
How about Riki Kawamoto busting out the Storm Trooper Star Wars shirt for the first round of the U.S. Open. pic.twitter.com/uL81whzOkp
— Andy Johnson (@AndyTFE) June 12, 2025
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Though Day made waves earlier in the week with his star-spangled shorts, Riki Kawamoto, who qualified for 2025 U.S. Open as an alternate from the Japan final qualifier, made his Oakmont debut on Thursday wearing a black short-sleeve mock with a ‘ Star Wars’ stormtrooper plastered across the hood. In a sport where folks get their plaid knickers in a knot over a plain navy blue hoody, this is certainly a bold choice. Is it bolder than the ‘Toy Story’ shirt he repped at the Mizuno Open earlier this month? We’ll let you decide, but it clearly this guy is a HUGE Disney fan.
Yuichi Masuda/R&A
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In general, we support being yourself even at the risk of ridicule, but we’ll stop short of calling this one a winner. First of all, Stormtroopers are infamous for having some of the worst aim in the galaxy, and that’s not the sort of energy you want to be putting out there on a golf course that punishes even fractional mistakes. Second of all, Stormtroopers are the bad guys. We know the world is in weird place right now, but no sane person is rewatching ‘Star Wars’ thinking “you know what, the Empire had some good points.”
Anyhoooo, we’re sure Kawamoto is simply a ‘Stars Wars’ fan and didn’t think through all of the intergalactic implications before throwing on his favorite shirt for the biggest round of his life. He’s a 24-year-old kid, he’ll learn, but here’s hoping next time we see him at a major, he’s wearing Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or, heck, even Cassian Andor on his sleeve.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
