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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 Brooks Koepka USA on the 18th tee during Round 3 of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 at St. Andrews Golf Club, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 05/10/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey St. Andrews Old course St. Andrews Fife Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx *EDI*
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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 Brooks Koepka USA on the 18th tee during Round 3 of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 at St. Andrews Golf Club, St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. 05/10/2024. Picture Thos Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Thos Caffrey St. Andrews Old course St. Andrews Fife Scotland Copyright: xThosxCaffreyx *EDI*
Augusta National is pretty specific about maintaining its traditions, and that comes with a set of rules written in stone. And these rules necessitate the player, coaches, officials, and even patrons arriving in a proper dress code. Any violation will lead to punishment that might include a permanent ban or a simple request to change clothes. But when a slight mockery of the dress code concerning Brooks Koepka’s seemingly collarless shirt arose, the fans were ready to defend the five-time major champion.
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Ross MacLeod, a putting coach, took to X and shared a picture of Koepka being interviewed by Sky Sports at Augusta National. But in the caption, he wrote, “No collar at Augusta. One of the best, most exclusive courses on the planet that nearly all of us will never get near. Yet there’s members at very average clubs that would angrily sprint out of the clubhouse if they saw someone dressed like that on the 1st tee. 🤣”
Koepka was wearing a Nike Golf Shirt – NK DF Tartan Mock Neck. It’s a Dri-FIT golf polo, and it’s technically a shirt with a collar. Of course, this wasn’t the first time someone wore a mock-collar shirt at the Masters Tournament.
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The trend began with Tiger Woods as he wore a mock turtleneck at the 2003 Buick Invitational. It ignited a massive debate around whether these were appropriate for a golf course or not. But Woods went on to wear the same kind of shirt and win the Masters Tournament in 2005.
No collar at Augusta. One of the best, most exclusive courses on the planet that nearly all of us will never get near
Yet there’s members at very average clubs that would angrily sprint out of the clubhouse if they saw someone dressed like that on the 1st tee 🤣 pic.twitter.com/tTgl833aWi
— Ross MacLeod Putting (@rossmacleodputt) April 10, 2026
Weighing in on mock necks, Woods once said, “I thought it was a pretty neat look back in the day. I was probably in a little better shape back in those days, but I had won events wearing the mock. I’ve always enjoyed wearing them.”
But this wasn’t a dress code violation. Players at Augusta need to wear collared shirts and full-length pants. Shirts must be tucked in and avoid any loud prints. That’s the reason why Jason Day’s outfit got immense criticism.
And Brooks Koepka adhered to all of that. When MacLeod shared his opinion on X, he faced significant resistance in the comments section.
Fans stand tall to defend Brooks Koepka at the Masters
Even before Koepka, Woods and David Duval were the ones who popularized mock collars. Many users flooded the comments, reminding critics that Tiger Woods famously normalized the mock neck collar at Augusta National. If it’s good enough for the Big Cat, it’s good enough for Brooks.
One fan noted, “Those collars are quite popular over here. Over the years David Duval and others, even Tiiger, have worn them. Maybe there are a few clubs that still require a collar, not many. Bothers me more that they do not shave.” Another fan added, “Dude, stop it … Tiger wore mock turtlenecks for years, and there wasn’t any outrage!”
For a power-hitter like Brooks Koepka, switching from a traditional polo to a mock neck offers several distinct advantages on the course. A mock neck sits flush against the skin, offering an aerodynamic, distraction-free fit that supports a modern, high-velocity golf swing. But according to fans, Brooks was nowhere near at fault.
One comment read, “Mock collars are fire 🔥.” Another fan wrote, “It’s not like it’s a T-shirt. It’s a Nike golf shirt…I would think these shirts would be acceptable in 97% of even the stuffiest of country clubs.” One fan even bashed the putting coach and wrote, “Are you seriously making a post about no collar when he CLEARLY has a collared shirt on? I wish people would take three seconds to look up what the word collar” means.
MacLeod later clarified that he was mocking the dress code for Augusta National. He wrote, “It’s crazy how many people have read this and think I’m saying it’s bad Brooks isn’t wearing a collar 🤣. I’m mocking silly dress codes at golf clubs. Can’t believe that’s not clear 🤦.”
But what do you think of the strict dress code at the Masters Tournament? And what’s your opinion about mock collars?
Written by
Edited by
Riya Singhal