Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of Forrest Fezler.
And pour yourself a tall one if you know why his name is significant.
The people at adidas know and remember. And they’re honoring Fezler’s milestone at this week’s PGA Championship.
“Achievement” might be an overstatement, but Fezler, you see, was the first, and so far only, professional golfer to wear shorts during an official major. adidas is giving Fezler his posthumous vindication this week by “signing” him to a NIL deal to promote its new. Ultimate365+ Golf Shorts.
Okay, that takes some explaining.
Forest Fezler and the 1983 US Open
The PGA Tour and USGA are famous for their “pants only” policy. If you are playing in their professional events, you must wear long pants. Fezler gained notoriety at the US Open at Oakmont in 1983 for wearing shorts to play his 72.n.d hole.
As he approached 18th Blue On the final day of the tournament, Fezler sat down at a nearby port-a-potty, stripped down to his pants and into a pair of Bermuda shorts. He played the final hole in shorts, making him the only male player to post an official score wearing anything that ended above the knee.
We’ll get to why Fezler did this in a minute, but know that adidas is opting for Fezler’s subtle subversion act to promote the new shorts at this week’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club outside of Philadelphia. The company is erecting a memorial statue of Fezler, wearing his shorts, in Dilworth Park near City Hall in downtown Philly. It will be there today until Sunday.
Additionally, adidas athletes will have a special edition piece on their shirts throughout the week. They will also wear shorts (weather permitting) during practice rounds today and tomorrow. The adidas Instagram account will also honor Fezler this week.
In the world of creative marketing campaigns, this reaches new heights since Fezler died in 2018.
Who was Forest Fezler and why did he wear shorts?
Forest Fezler was the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 1973. He earned just one victory in his 12-year career, at the 1974 Southern Open. His best showing in a major also came in ’74, when he finished second to Hale Irwin in that year’s US Open known as the “Winged Foot Massacre.”
Fezler was a rising star at the time, but a serious wrist injury in 1976 derailed what had been a promising career.
The whole shorts incident took place at the ’83 Open at Oakmont, perhaps the most traditional (or “fuzzy,” if you prefer) club in the entire world. Fezler had run afoul of the USGA two years ago at the US Open in Merion, when he challenged — and won — a bogus “slow play” penalty.
While Fezler approached 72n.d tee, he stepped into a porta pot about 100 yards from the tee box, changed into his shorts and proceeded to tie his tee in a rough shape. He punched out and ended up with a stunner. He then rushed to the scorer’s tent, signed his card and promptly left.
Fezler warned an Associated Press photographer what he would do, making sure his protest would continue.
Fezler retired from the tournament the following year. He made a name for himself in the 90s designing and building courses, becoming famous with Mike Strantz. He also collaborated on courses with the likes of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Fazio. Fezler later designed and built his own course, Golden Eagle Golf Club in Tallahassee.
He died of brain cancer in 2018.
Marketing 101 says…
…If you’re going to do something crazy, make it fun.
Give adidas its props for that one. Yep, it’s a crazy way to promote a pair of golf shorts. But sure enough hell qualifies as fun.
Fezler’s protest seems mild today, but at the time it was a smart, in-your-face gesture for the game’s rulers. It was also very convenient for the rebellious Fezler. The fact that adidas chose this event to use Fezler’s stunt to promote a pair of golf shorts is also well known.
The USGA and PGA Tour still adhere to their “long pants” policy today, regardless of the weather. LIV, during its inaugural 2022 season, allowed players to wear shorts at its event in Boston. That policy changed last year, requiring players to wear long pants unless temperatures exceeded 90 degrees. At that point, shorts are allowed.
