Dustin Johnson and Taylor Made Hat…
Lets talk about golfers hats. Dustin Johnson, the number one golfer on the planet wears a “golf hat”.
The ubiquitous golf hat. It’s really a baseball style hat that 90 plus percent of touring golf professional wear. That includes both men and women professionals on all tours worldwide. That is not a scientific fact, its just an observation. Say golf hat to someone and what do they think of? The type you see on Dustin Johnson. It’s really a baseball hat but everyone calls it a golf hat.
These hats all have logos. You can’t buy one without a logo. It’s a rule. I don’t know who made it a rule but I’ll bet you cannot find one of these hats without a logo unless you order it that way.
Some of these hats vary the size or style of the brim a bit. Ricky Fowler started wearing a flat brim “golf hat” and created a whole new look and clothing line. Imagine how bold it was of Fowler to vary the style of the hat brim in a sport like as golf. Really wild….
Some of the success of the “baseball” style of hat in golf is function. It’s inexpensive, portable, stows easily in luggage, and comes in an infinite variety of colors and patterns.
Justin Leonard and low profile golf hat
You can even vary the height of the hat so it will reflect a period in baseball history or various styles worn by baseball teams of the past. Think about Justin Leonard and the style of golf hat he wore. It was a low profile hat as opposed to DJ’s fairly high profile hat.
Ben Hogan and his Hogan Cap
Ben Hogan wore a different style of hat. One that was associated with more of a common worker back in his day. It was really a cap, not a hat.
He became famous for that style of cap. If you ever see a video of Ben Hogan swing a club or playing in a tournament, it was in one style of cap. When someone says “It was a Hogan style hat”, a true golfer knows what that means.
A Pith Helmet Style of Hat
Personally, I have worn a lightweight straw Pith Helmet for over 30 years of competitive golf because it was gave protection from the sun and dissipated the heat better. And in Texas, those are important characteristics. It also stayed on my head in all but the most windy conditions and it had a chin strap when it was needed. It was no good in the rain. Having had this experience with hats and competitive golf, I thought it might be fun to take a flight of fancy and explore the possibility of Dustin wearing a different style of hat.
Mysterious Tex
Meet Mysterious Tex— The woman wearing this hat was with a group of folks hanging out on the patio outside the Harvey Penick Room at Austin Country Club during the second round of matches.
The hat had style. I don’t know the brand or model but imagine Dustin Johnson wearing a hat of this nature. Combine that with with his natural gunslinger swagger and you’d have a scene straight from a Louis L’Amour Western, complete with a high noon type of drama. “So, You think you can take me down in this match? Meet me at high noon on the first tee and we’ll see who comes out on top.” Nice hat. It might require a hat box to travel but it has room for a logo and would add some character to the DJ mystique. It might need a chin strap in the wind but would work in the rain.
The commercial, UV blocking, non-stylistic, practical hat
Dustin could, in anticipation of the effect of spending years in the wind, sun and baking elements of global warming and a thinner atmosphere, opt for the senior tour version of a sun protection device that maximizes the shading effect.
The commercial, UV blocking, non-stylistic, practical hat
That style of hat maximizes the protection from UV rays and also provides an opportunity for advertisement revenue.. I’d say Dustin is a bit young for this option but it’s something to keep in mind for the future. And, the logo can be tailored to whatever might be appropriate for the golfer and sponsor. Another feature is that is is very practical for travel. Both luggage friendly and washable, it is a shoo-in for someone on the go. Plus, pets and kids like to play with it. So, you can add fun to the characteristics of the commercial, UV blocking, non-stylistic, practical hat.
The Red Hat
Now, if style were the primary criteria in hat selection for professional golfers, we should consider the Red Hat.
At first blush it might seem a bit too much for the practical mind. How would it do in the high winds? Could I wear it with the white pants and belts that now seem to be in style on the tour?
Would I need to wear sunglasses with this much shade for my eyes, and of course, what kind of a headband could I use to advertise some sort of revenue producing logo that would favorably reflect on my personal image and the game of golf as well. No doubt a daunting task… Not really a good candidate for a Dustin Johnson type of player. Unless of course he wanted to be a Robin Hood type of character or some odd note in the tradition laden game of golf. No doubt it would spark outrage in some quarters. Better not go there….
The Farmers Hat
There is the Farmers Hat. Although this beautiful lady is probably not a farmer, imagine Dustin with this style of hat doing a post round interview after destroying another opponent and saying something like “Oh shucks, it wad’nt nutin that would raise an eyebrow down at the general store. I jest made six birdies and an eagle and won 8 and 7. If I’d ah putted gud I’d a made annuder birdie beat him 9 and 8.”
This hat might work. Heckfire, Dustin is a South Carolina dude who doesn’t say much, is sneaky smart and has the physique for plow morning till night. Maybe we should throw in a set of overalls and let him play without a shirt underneath… It might work… Movies have attested to the resilience of this style of hat in scenes with rain, sun, wind and adventures across the frontier. I’m not sure, but I think it would support a headband logo so we are good there….definitely a possibility.
The Chin Strap Hat
The Chin Strap… In alignment with the metaphor of Dustin Johnson being somewhat of a gunslinger type of personality, we need a chin strap. This fellow, who was out following the action in the second round of the matches, had battened down the hatches in the 22 mph winds, with occasional gusts to 30 mph, by securing his hat with a chin strap.
In the gunslinger version of Dustin, we would be charging across the prairie in wild pursuit of the Ned Pepper gang with six guns blazing and our hats flapping in the wild western wind as bullets zipped by and fell harmlessly on the plains. But the hat would be secure because of the chin strap.
Oh well, I don’t expect Dustin to change his hat style but was is fun to look at all the hats that can be seen at the Dell Match Play Championship and imagine Dustin Johnson wearing one.
