Many compared Mickelson's button-downed look to that of an accountant or churchgoerGetty Images
Phil Mickelson showed up for a practice round at The Masters yesterday morning "wearing a long-sleeved, collared shirt that garnered a good bit of attention," according to Bob Harig of ESPN.com. The Mizzen+Main long-sleeved dress shirt is "made out of performance fabric." Mickelson is "not believed to have an endorsement deal with the company." However, he said, "I just thought I would give it a try. It's a stretchy fabric, it performs well, and I think it looks good" (ESPN.com, 4/3). Tiger Woods, who played with Mickelson yesterday, said, "The only thing that was missing was a tie” (Mult., 4/4). ESPN’s Booger McFarland said, “It looks like he left church and said, ‘You know what, I got a tee time.’ He took the tie off and went straight to the tee box” ("Get Up!," ESPN, 4/4). In Atlanta, Chris Vivlamore wrote maybe the "sponsorship logos on his chest and sleeve were the giveaway that Mickelson wasn’t reporting for work at an accounting firm" (AJC.com, 4/3). The shirt is "better suited for an accountant than a golfer" (GOLF.com, 4/3). It is "what you wear eating lunch in the clubhouse after your round, not when you're doing physical activity" (SI.com, 4/3). Mickelson's shirt pushes style boundaries "in a questionable direction" (GOLFDIGEST.com, 4/3).
FROM THE GALLERY: Twitter had a field day with Mickelson's shirt. Golfer Anya Alvarez wrote, "I'm pretty sure Phil Mickelson wore this shirt as a PR stunt or is making a transition to selling life insurance or used cars after the #Masters." ESPN's Matt Barrie: "Until I hear otherwise, Phil Mickelson lost a bet to wear that shirt today at #themasters." The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw: "I wonder if Phil Mickelson would wear that logo on his shirt if he had ever had to fill out an expense report on Workday" (TWITTER.com, 4/3). ESPN's Mike Greenberg said, "He's going to win The Masters, and then everyone is going to wear that in their practice round going forward" ("Get Up!," ESPN, 4/4).
COLOR RUSH: GOLF DIGEST's Ashley Mayo notes Nike has a "record number of athletes" scheduled to play in The Masters, and they will "tell an interesting story" with their scripted outfits. Nike's roster, including Woods, will "wear dark cloud-themed color polos on Thursday, and lighter colors on Friday to signify the calm before the storm." They will also "wear blue shades on Saturday to represent blue skies, and finally, pink on Sunday to match the color of Augusta's magnolia flowers" (GOLF DIGEST STIX, 4/4 issue).
