Many professional athletes have tattoos. From the NBA to the NFL, tattoos seem more common than not. This trend, however, does not apply to golfers, or at least it doesn’t appear to be the case. Why is it that most PGA Tour Players don’t have tattoos?
In the article below, we are going to cover all you need to know about the rules about tattoos on tour. If the PGA has any rules on tattoos and why tattoos don’t appear to be common. We have a lot to cover so let’s get started.
Can PGA Tour Golfers Have Tattoos?
As far as tattoos go, though, all PGA tour golfers are permitted to have them. People often get tattoos for personal and sentimental reasons and the PGA can’t stop their golfers from doing this. In fact, some of the biggest names in the sport have tattoos.
Notable Players Who Have Tattoos:
Rory McIlroy: Rory has a few tattoos on his body. One of his most visible tattoos is a Bible verse on his left forearm.
Brooks Koepka: Brooks Koepka, an American professional golfer and five-time major champion. Brooks has a tattoo on his right bicep which showcases a roaring tiger.
Rickie Fowler: Rickie is an American professional golfer known for his stylish attire and vibrant personality. He has several tattoos, including one on his right forearm depicting the letters “G” and “F,” which stand for “Grow Up” and “Golf Forever.”
Tommy Fleetwood: Tommy Fleetwood, an English professional golfer, has a couple of tattoos. One of his tattoos is a large design on his upper arm, and another is a small tattoo on his chest.
Dustin Johnson: Dustin Johnson, an American professional golfer and former World No. 1, has multiple tattoos on his body. He has a tiger tattoo on his right shoulder and a Buddhist monk tattoo on his left shoulder.
Bubba Watson: Bubba Watson, an American professional golfer and Masters champion, has a couple of tattoos. He has a scripture reference on his left arm and another tattoo on his right arm.
Seve Ballesteros: The late, great Seve famously had a tattoo on his arm of himself punching the air after victory at the British Open.
So, not only are PGA tour golfers allowed to have tattoos, but some of them also have golf-related ones or markings related to career achievements.
Can Pro Golfers Have Visible Tattoos?
Professional golfers are allowed visible tattoos. While many of them will have tattoos that we don’t know about, a lot of them do have them on their arms and hands which are visible during televised events.
Many “purists” may have a thing or two to say about them, but as long as the visible tattoos aren’t offensive, there isn’t much tournament organizers can do about it.
Is There Anything In The PGA Dress Code About Tattoos?
The PGA dress code doesn’t address tattoos directly. One key in their handbook that could be related to tattoos, though, states that “players shall present themselves with a neat and clean appearance.”
In years gone by, tattoos may well have fallen under the category of scruff or unclean, meaning a golfer having them could have been in breach of this code.
However, time has moved on and tattoos are more and more normal in society today, especially among younger people.
Golf has also moved on over the past couple of decades in terms of dress code. Yes, players still need to wear collared shirts and refrain from wearing denim, but some of them are certainly pushing boundaries with the colors and styles they now wear.
Why Don’t Most Professional Golfers Have Tattoos?
The majority of professional golfers don’t appear to have tattoos but that doesn’t mean that they don’t. The main reason why it appears that most professional golfers don’t have tattoos is because of the PGA Tour’s strict dress code.
All professional golfers are expected to wear collared shirts and long pants. Shorts are generally frowned upon and are not allowed in most PGA Tour events.
If players were able to wear shorts more often then perhaps, we would see more tattoos as calves and ankles are commonly used as tattoo locations.
Additionally, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that some professional golfers may have tattoos on their shoulders and neck. Again, because professional golfers are most seen wearing collared shirts, this area of their body is always shielded from the cameras.
That said that, there are plenty of golfers out there who quite simply just don’t have any tattoos. One possible reason for this is because professional golfers will have grown up on posh golf courses surrounded by members who behaved “properly” and “formally.”
In years gone by, tattoos were seen as improper so many of the professional golfers of today would never have been exposed to them growing up.
Thankfully, we now live in a more progressive world where individuals are encouraged to express themselves. It isn’t unreasonable to suggest that we will see more golfers with visible tattoos in the near future.
Final Thoughts
PGA Tour players are allowed to have tattoos, and several notable golfers, such as Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood, Dustin Johnson, and Bubba Watson, have tattoos.
The PGA dress code doesn’t specifically address tattoos, but players are expected to present themselves with a neat appearance.
The perception that most golfers don’t have tattoos may be influenced by the strict dress code and the traditional image associated with golf.
However, as society becomes more accepting of body art, it is likely that more golfers will proudly display their tattoos in the future.
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