Fittin' For Furyk

by Victor Williams

A few months ago, FG HQ received a care package from a guy named Copey Pulitzer — alas, no relation to that Pulitzer, though we’d never presume to even sniff the highest journalistic honor. In said package was a red shirt with horizontal black stripes, not your garden-variety golf getup by any means, but we tried it on anyway. And loved it. And wear it still.

Apparently we’re not alone in our taste for ChiliWear.

Jimmy Jammin’: Leave it to unorthodox swinger Jim Furyk to sport a shirt that’s very button-down — all the way down, as a matter of fact — but anything but conservative in styling. Louisiana-based Chiliwear’s line of golf-meets-whatever apparel (dubbed “Performance Camp”) is loose-fitting, eminently comfortable and as wild in design as you want it to be, with designs ranging from Vegas over-the-top (roulette and blackjack, anyone?) to Jimmy Buffett tropic-psychedelic to smokin’ submarine Tabasco. Furyk loves the Chiliwear line so much, he inked a six-year deal with the Louisiana-based company. “It’s the most comfortable shirt I’ve ever worn and the first shirt I have felt comfortable endorsing in years.” So does that mean he’ll wear the Chili all the way to another major winner’s circle? Now that’s he’s got the smokin’ style to match his vaunted grinding on-course countenance, why not? Maybe he’ll even throw his mustachioed caddie a tog or two to help further the spicy mojo.

Comfy Cool: Chiliwear might be hot in name and color palette, but slip into one of these babies even in the muggiest conditions or the most extreme summertime desert heat, and you’ll feel strangely at sweat-soaking peace. The shirt’s moisture wicking fabric and easy-to-move-around, air-circulating fit keep you swinging without risk of sun-stroke … if you remember to stay hydrated and lather up the SPF-40, that is.

OB and Lovin’ It: But the best thing about Chiliwear is the statement it makes to your fellow golfers, most of whom are still stuck in the polo-style rut. Hey, the rail-thin Furyk makes it work; why not Joe Hacker, too? And if you’re too lazy to undo the buttons, no worries — just slip it off and on like any other shirt. No one will care. But please, leave on those Chiliwear golf-themed boxers.

Where to Find It: You can check out ChiliWear at Edwin Watts, Golfsmith and many other golf and specialty stores, in their catalogs or online. www.chiliwear.com