Scottie Scheffler sparked backlash on the eve of the Scottish Open after he was caught defying a crucial rule of golfing etiquette.
The World No 1 will tee it up at the Renaissance Club on Thursday for the Genesis Scottish Open ahead of his championship defense at The Open next week.
And the four-time major winner seized the chance to reacquaint himself with classic links golf before tackling the wild Scottish fairways.
The American squeezed in a warmup round at North Berwick Golf Club – the 13th oldest golf club in the world just down from the Renaissance Club, the home of this week’s tournament.
However, a clip of the golf star taking to the prestigious course raised eyebrows among fans for what they viewed to be a breach of the sport’s strict rules.
Scheffler, who recently debuted his new shaved head hairstyle, opted for an extremely casual look, in sneakers, gym shorts and a collarless t-shirt.
Scottie Scheffler sparked backlash for wearing sneakers and a t-shirt to play the prestigious North Berwick golf course ahead of the Scottish Open this week
The golf star will tee it up at the Renaissance Club on Thursday for the Genesis Scottish Open
While rules on attire are not officially listed in the R&A rulebook, clubs generally enforce strict dress codes on players.
The sport’s etiquette often dictates that collared polo or golf shirt – recently high-neck shirts have become widely more acceptable over the traditional collared tops – golf shorts or pants, and golf shoes must be worn.
North Berwick’s own dress code states that ‘an acceptable standard of golfing attire should be worn’ and that ‘jeans, track suits, cargo shorts, t-shirts and similar are not permitted.’
Scheffler’s relaxed attire on the course sparked backlash from many fans on social media with some questioning why the dress code doesn’t appear to apply to the reigning Open champion.
‘Scottie Scheffler visits one of the greatest and most sacred golf courses on earth… And wears a T-Shirt and gym shorts,’ one golf fan account dramatically lamented. ‘What is happening to the very fabric of our society? Is this how civilized society ends?’
‘Must admit, it’s not a good look,’ insisted another. ‘Call me old fashioned but you need to respect the traditions of the game when playing a course like North Berwick.’
‘What happened to game I loved,’ questioned a third, while another urged Scheffler to ‘dress like an adult.’
The four-time major winner will launch his championship defense at The Open next week
The fashion faux pas from golf’s top player came as the R&A announced a new ‘code of conduct’ for The Open Championship next week.
The R&A has published ‘The Open Commitment’, which ‘encourages everyone attending to play their part in protecting traditions,’ according to the BBC.
In a statement, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said: ‘The atmosphere at The Open is unlike any other major sporting event and one of the things that makes it so unique.
‘It is built on a shared respect for the players, the course, fellow fans and the traditions of the Championship.’
