Report: 'Very Well Known' Unnamed Tour Pro Told To Change Shirt At Golf Club

Former pro, now broadcaster Ewan Porter has revealed that an unnamed Australian tour player was ordered to change his Adidas golf shirt at a well-known course in Melbourne.

The 40-year-old expressed his disbelief at the incident on Twitter. Above an image of the offending type of shirt, he wrote: “OK, this is not even a joke. Yesterday, a very well known Australian pro played a very well known golf course in Melbourne. He wore the same style of @adidasGolf shirt and was told he had to change it. I’m sorry, but this is completely unacceptable archaic rules.”

The shirt is collarless, which could have caused the issue. Nevertheless, the stance is unlikely to improve the perception of certain clubs as being out of touch with modern times. Fellow pro Mike Clayton, who has said the world rankings should be scrapped, replied to Porter's tweet, writing: “Funny how it was acceptable 55 years ago” above several images showing players in similar shirts from earlier eras.

Porter’s revelation is the latest in what is becoming a recurring theme for the Sydney-born player. Earlier in the week, Kings of Leon drummer Nathan Followill tweeted that he was told to cover up his tattoos at what he described as a “Sydney bucket list golf course.” 

The musician had been invited to the course by Porter and LIV Golf and Asian tour pro Travis Smyth. Porter then responded to Followill’s tweet asking, “what harm is it doing to anyone or a club’s reputation if someone has tattoos or wears black socks?” and described it as a “pretty sad reflection on the outlook of some clubs.”

Porter’s history of speaking out on rules related to attire at golf clubs goes back even further. In 2020, he tweeted: “Visited a premier Sydney golf club today. Was told I wouldn’t be able to play wearing black socks with black shoes and I needed to buy white club socks. Leaving this open for discussion, but I said out of principle, I’d prefer not to play than bow to archaic rules.”

While it has not been revealed who the player was that Porter referred to, it could potentially be fellow Australian Lucas Herbert, who is one of Australia’s top players and an ambassador for Adidas. Melbourne native Herbert is also not in the field for this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship, a tournament he won last year.