Should Tour Pros Still Have To Wear Pants? 

I was watching the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week in Memphis and naturally thought about the long-debated topic of what pros should wear on the course.

Memphis is blistering hot each August for this event. I live a few hours away and have to put on sunscreen to take out my trash. It’s the Swamp Ass Invitational. Guys are sweating so badly that it looks like brands came out with new patterns for their polos. 

But more than the shirts? The pants. The players are forced to wear long pants, a tradition that dates back to the game’s origins when knee-length knickers and plus fours were standard fare. 

On the Sunday of the tournament, the MGS group chat got into the topic. 

“If you’re going to make them play in Memphis in August, throw them a bone,” my coworker Andrew “The Mayor” Zanzig said. “I HATE that rule so much. SO much.” 

So let’s get into it: Should the pros still have to wear pants? 

I’ll give both sides of the argument and then my opinion. 

The case for why pros should continue to wear pants

As I alluded to in the intro, pro golfers have basically always worn some form of pants. While there have been variants over the years, the classic combination of a polo and slacks has been the standard for male professionals dating back to the 1940s. 

There are no uniforms in golf so many consider this combo the unofficial pro golfer uniform. 

Pro athlete uniforms often signify importance and the pro golfer in long pants is a differentiator from your local weekend hacker wearing cargo shorts. 

How would it look if Rory McIlroy was coming down the stretch at the Masters wearing shorts? Some feel it might not hold the same kind of weight as we watch a parade of blindingly pale legs trying to achieve glory. 

LIV players wearing shorts make it seem more like a member-guest outing than a serious tournament with something on the line. 

There is also an element of tradition and legacy. The pants are a connection to the game’s past and an ode to respecting the legends of previous eras. 

Furthermore, do other sports offer uniform adaptations for their players? Baseball players wear pants even if it’s a 1 p.m. game in Atlanta during a July heatwave. Football players don’t switch into training camp gear when it’s hot at the beginning of the year. 

Why should golfers change their uniform based on the conditions? 

Finally, golf pants technology has advanced. Pros can wear lightweight, breathable pants that don’t negatively impact performance. 

The case for why pros shouldn’t have to wear pants 

OK, all of that is cool … but it’s time for common sense to prevail here.

Virtually every golfer around the world, including elite amateurs, gets to choose their outfit based on the conditions. Why shouldn’t the pros? Why are we giving them some kind of handicap based on arbitrary rules set many decades ago?

Sure, modern golf pants are breathable. But have you tried shorts? They have this thing called “open air flowing to your shins and knees.” That’s the most breathable option available to humans.

The dress code for golfers has evolved to where many courses don’t have any dress code restrictions at all. The pros themselves are wearing hoodies, joggers and all sorts of apparel that wasn’t acceptable 20 years ago.

And you can look good while wearing shorts. Just because you have shorts on doesn’t mean your shirt is untucked and you look unprofessional. You can still look like a pro.

Letting PGA Tour players choose their own attire doesn’t mean they will always be in shorts. In fact, most players will probably still opt for pants during much of the year. It’s really just during the summer where shorts become a more obvious choice.

Allowing the option can provide a chance for pros to differentiate themselves. Different styles of shorts. Guys who only wear shorts. Guys who only wear pants. Socks go from completely unseen to potentially visible. What length of socks? What brand?

It all opens up opportunities for pros to not look exactly the same. And, being honest, most pros look identical.

Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer wearing pants has nothing to do with golf as an entertainment product in 2026. The times they are a-changin. 

Golf fans just want to watch great golf. If pros had the option to wear whatever they wanted, they would feel more comfortable and everyone watching would quickly adjust. 

Ultimately, the seriousness of any competition is about whether the players genuinely care about the outcome. Their wearing of pants or shorts is not tantamount to whether fans can sense how much a player cares. And the uniform they currently wear isn’t exactly sacred like New York Yankee pinstripes or the gold shine of a Notre Dame football helmet. It’s an individual sport where style choices are made without any mandates (except the pants).

Why is YouTube golf wildly popular? It’s entertaining and interesting. Nobody has ever said they don’t want to watch because Grant Horvat showed up in shorts. 

Fast forward to 2050. What does pro golf look like? Is it getting more progressive to reflect the golfing population or is it holding tight to the past? Is it more reflective of golfers being athletes or insurance agents?

It’s time to move into modern times here.

I propose we all meet in the middle on this one

I am, of course, more of a traditionalist when it comes to golf. 

So some might be surprised to hear that I am not in favor of pro golfers having to wear pants at every event. 

I think the PGA Tour should let the guys do whatever they want. There is no captivating reason why pros should have to struggle through 104-degree heat wearing pants.

However, I think pants should be required for the majors. Let me explain why.

First of all, heat isn’t really much of a concern at the majors. Augusta is temperate in April. The PGA Championship isn’t usually scorching hot in May. The U.S. Open is almost always up north or on the West Coast (though there are occasions when it does get very hot). The Open Championship is more likely to necessitate rain gear than shorts.

We generally don’t have a “Memphis in August” scenario with the majors.

But more than that, the majors are incredibly important to the game’s history. They are career-defining events. Players are competing for legacy more than entertainment value.

It would feel wrong to have someone wear the green jacket in shorts. But hoisting a trophy at the John Deere Classic? I think most of us are OK with that image.

This hybrid solution of keeping pants mandatory at the majors makes a traditionalist like me happy while conceding that it’s unnecessary to make pros wear pants at a random Tour event when you can cook an egg on the cart path.

What do we think about this? Let me know below in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: Jake Knapp and Sungjae Im battle the Memphis heat. (GETTY IMAGES/Matthew Maxey)