Sam Ryder turned heads during the final round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in more ways than one. A sizzling 9-under par 62 vaulted him 11 places up the leaderboard to a solo third finish. While his game made plenty of noise on the course, it was his fashion statement that had the social media world buzzing. Ryder looked like a modern Johnny Cash as he strolled the fairways in a black monochromatic outfit. The sleek kit included a pair of slim-fitting Montauk Joggers from Greyson Clothiers and a pair of Brogue Kiltie Gallivanter Shoes by G/FORE. Ryder also worked in Greyson’s high-tech Tala Polo to complete the all-black look. “If it is not too hot, I like wearing black-on-black a lot. When TrendyGolf sent me the Greyson joggers, they fit perfectly. I wear so many sweatpants and joggers in general,� said Ryder. Ironically, this was not the first time he wore this outfit. He flew under the radar in this stealthy kit during the final round of the Safeway Open last month. “I wore the joggers at the Northern Trust and I loved them. I wore them again in the final round in Napa with the same outfit. I wore black pants socks with them then, so I wasn’t showing the same amount of ankle as I did in Vegas,� continued Ryder. “I played great and finished one shot back from a playoff in Napa. I felt good in that outfit and I played well. I tend to wear outfits again if I play well in them. I was saving it and the weather turned out to be perfect for black clothing in Vegas.� While most players on the PGA TOUR have sponsorship deals with an apparel brand, Sam Ryder has taken a unique approach to his on-course wardrobe. Early this year he partnered with TrendyGolf, an e-commerce company known for selling fashionable and functional golf apparel brands. As part of his sponsorship, Ryder wears a variety of the labels sold by TrendyGolf, often mixing and matching brands in one outfit. “I had known about TrendyGolf for a while. I’ve had an interest in golf fashion and my agent had a good relationship with one of their co-founders. I was super stoked about it because they had so many cool things on their website. The hardest thing was getting the sizing dialed down between J.Lindeberg versus Greyson versus RLX or Original Penguin. We did that and they got an idea of the things I like to wear. They pushed me out of my comfort zone at times and it has really been a fun year getting to wear a lot of different brands,� explained Ryder. Although Ryder has worn a variety of brands throughout 2018, he has consistently turned out some of his best looks while wearing Greyson. “I’ve been wearing a lot of Greyson all year. I just love the fit and the quality and performance of the materials. I like a lot of the styles, too. They are doing fun things from the fashion side by pushing an ‘old-school meets modern style’. I’ve really enjoyed wearing it,� said Ryder. Founded in 2015 by Charlie Schaefer, Greyson has quickly gained popularity with TOUR players thanks to Schaefer’s creative and thoughtful designs. First worn on TOUR by Morgan Hoffmann, the brand has attracted Luke Donald, Kelly Kraft, Fabian Gomez, and rookie Kramer Hickok to its wolfpack over the last two years. At the heart of Greyson’s success is Schaefer’s unique ability to play with a juxtaposition of styles, often mixing traditional herringbones and pinstripes with edgy camos and other bold patterns. Sam Ryder borrowed a page from this book on Sunday by pairing a modern jogger with the vintage-looking shoe from G/FORE. When it comes to his on-course looks, Ryder likes to style himself, but consults with Adrienne Cass, who brought him onboard while she was the managing director at TrendyGolf. “Adrienne has been great with helping me out. She has a great sense of style and has been my wingman. She also scripted me for the Playoff event. A lot of it is just asking her opinions on different outfits,� said Ryder. Ryder also has an interesting take on whether golf fashion should be more progressive. “I don’t think it has to be. I think it can be and it should be encouraged to make things exciting. Whether you are a fan of what I wore on Sunday or not, at least it creates some more buzz and it gets some more eyes on golf. I don’t think it took away from Bryson winning the golf tournament, Patrick finishing second, or my really good round of golf. I think guys should have a little leeway as long as you are doing it tastefully. I think there are some limits, but as long as it’s not affecting other competitors, then I don’t see why not.� Sam Ryder looks to build on his strong finish in Las Vegas at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico this week. Will the joggers make another appearance? He says he has a grey pair of the Greyson Montauks in his suitcase. Stay tuned.
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