After playing his final nine holes in 5 under on Thursday, Tony Finau kept his foot on the gas pedal early Friday morning at the 2022 Houston Open. Beginning his day with a crucial par save, the four-time PGA Tour winner tacked on 10 birdies against two blemishes over the course of his next 17 holes to tie the course record with an 8-under 62 at Memorial Park Golf Course.

“I thought I just took the momentum that I had from yesterday. I finished 5 under on my last nine yesterday and I just rolled that momentum right into today,” said Finau. “I thought I made a huge putt for par on No. 1 and then I was kind of off to the races. I almost made a hole-in-one on No. 2 and just kind of cruising from there. It was a really nice round of golf.”

Standing at 13 under, the 33-year-old is four strokes clear of his nearest pursuer as the conditions worsened in the Houston area in the afternoon hours and caused play to be suspended until Saturday morning when the second round will resume at 7:45 a.m. ET. With this weather expecting to persist, and with half the field still needing to complete their second rounds, this margin possessed by Finau cannot go overlooked as he attempts to fend off the competition over the weekend.

Last year’s runner-up and world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler remains a threat as he sits at 5 under through 13 holes in his second round. Still eight strokes off the pace, he is all but assured to be around for the weekend, unlike his good friend Sam Burns. Burns entered the week the second highest-ranked player in the field. After an opening 7-over 77, however, Burns is unlikely to recover and make the cut.

The leader

1. Tony Finau (-13)

Despite missing the cut last week in his season debut, Finau knocked off the competitive rust at Mayakoba. Staying put in Mexico to spend quality time with the family and play a couple rounds of golf with his children, Finau was looking to rediscover the sharpness that propelled him into a memorable last few months of the 2021-22 season. 

During this span, Finau teed it up in 13 tournaments — winning twice, finishing runner-up another two times and collecting four additional top-15 finishes. Through 36 holes, his search appears to have been a successful one.

“Winning just breeds confidence. I’ve always felt like I was confident to win, but you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to make it happen. Having done that back to back, I think it just breeds confidence more into my belief and to my game,” said Finau. “I would say that’s been a nice part over these last couple years is just getting more comfortable at the top of the leaderboard. I always am trying to get better and each day that’s all you can ask of yourself is just try and push yourself to be the best you can be, and the result of that is I think I’ve been better each year of my career and each season and hopefully I continue that trend.”

Other contenders

2. Patrick Rodgers (-9)

T3. Tyson Alexander, Alex Noren (-8)

T5. James Hahn, Carl Yuan (-7)

T7. Wyndham Clark, Mackenzie Hughes, Aaron Rai, Ben Griffin, Ben Taylor, Trey Mullinax, Aaron Wise (-6)

This is an eclectic pack on the chase featuring journeymen, rookies, European stalwarts and everything in between. Hahn, Mullinax, Wise and Hughes are the only PGA Tour winners of the bunch, and it is the Canadian being featured in the spotlight. Playing alongside the leader the first two days, Hughes got a front row seat to Finau’s exquisite play. 

Not possessing his best stuff on Friday, Hughes, who won earlier this season at the Sanderson Farms Championship, kept himself in this tournament thanks to a scrappy performance. One of the best putters on the PGA Tour and recently adding some distance, Hughes could be worth a look over the weekend.

“I kind of joked with Joel [Dahmen] a little bit there that Tony [Finau] had a long pro-am day today with him and I going alongside,” said Hughes. “And yeah, just felt like I was all over the lot starting out and just trying to find a way to make some pars. Was doing a good job of that for the most part. Then I got a little bit of a semblance of a swing the last five, six holes there and was able to finish the round quite nicely. All in all, it was probably about as good as I could have shot today.” 

Homeless Hubbs heading home early after DQ

This was a peculiar moment in the second round as Mark Hubbard was disqualified for adding an extra golf club to his bag around the turn. Standing at 9 over for the tournament through 27 holes, Hubbard was never going to make the cut and instead looked to test a different driver before packing his bags. Unbeknownst to him, his actions were grounds for disqualification.

2022 Houston Open updated odds and picks

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook

• Tony Finau: 5/7
• Scottie Scheffler: 8-1
• Alex Noren: 9-1
• Patrick Rodgers: 11-1
• Aaron Wise: 14-1
• Wyndham Clark: 60-1
• Trey Mullinax: 60-1
• Davis Riley: 65-1
• Carl Yuan: 70-1
• Mackenzie Hughes: 70-1
• James Hahn: 80-1
• Aaron Rai: 90-1

Two days into this tournament and only 12 players find themselves with odds lower than 100-1. A credit to what Finau is currently doing, I would be shocked if the current leader is unable to convert the edge into his fifth victory on the PGA Tour. He is performing adequately in every aspect of the game, and in particular his putting where he ranks third in the field.

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Summer has arrived, so you better prepare yourself for those hot days on the golf course. A hat, sunglasses, moisture-wicking shorts, and a shirt are necessary.

In this post, I prepare you for the heat by unveiling our top 6 best golf shirts that will help you stay cool in hot weather.

You can maximize your comfort levels by wearing shirts that wick moisture and encourage optimal airflow. The golf polo shirts listed below are breathable, comfortable, and offer excellent UV protection to shield your skin from the sun’s rays.

What to Look for in a Good Golf Shirt

UV Protection

Before I discuss the comfort elements of a golf shirt, let me get the protective qualities out the way. When you are playing in warm weather, sun protective clothing is vital. I recommend golf shirts that provide SPF 50+ protection.

Materials that offer this protection block out approximately 98% of type B ultraviolet (UVB) rays. This is the most effective sun-fighting material on the market. If your golf shirts do not possess this level of protection, you may become sunburned during your round.

Moisture Wicking Material

The best golf shirts for hot weather contain material that wicks moisture away from the interior. This keeps you dry, refreshed, and comfortable while on the links. When your shirt fails to wick moisture, you become drenched and large wet patches grace your polo.

That look is neither comfortable nor attractive. However, it can easily be avoided with moisture-wicking fabric.

Breathability

Sticking with comfort. Breathability is the next core factor to look for in a golf shirt. This means that the material encourages maximum airflow through the material to cool your skin down.

Therefore, you do not risk overheating and sweating profusely. If you reach this point, the moisture-wicking qualities of the shirt fail, and you become drenched. That leaves you uncomfortable and miserable and can ruin your round on a beautiful day.

Stretch Fabric

Golf apparel is about more than fashion and comfort. Your shirt and pants can impact your golf swing if they lack stretchability. Golfers require the stretch fabric to optimize freedom of movement while walking and swinging.

This fabric does not restrict your movement on your backswing and follow through. As a result, it helps you maximize your power for a superior strike. Ideally, you should look at 4-way stretch golf shirts for optimal freedom on the golf course. However, these products may fetch a higher price than 2-way stretch material.

Manufacturers typically boost the stretch of their golf shirts by employing a dash of elastane or spandex. These materials outstretch well without damaging, ensuring longer-lasting clothing.

The 6 Best Golf Shirts for Hot Weather

1. Under Armour Playoff 2.0

The Under Armour Playoff 2.0 golf shirt is a blend of polyester and elastane designed to provide comfort and optimal freedom of movement. Plus, the material keeps you cool and dry while you navigate the golf course.

Soft, anti-pill fabric is ultra-lightweight, which promotes increased airflow through the shirt. Therefore, it is incredibly breathable to keep you dry and cool during your round. In addition, the material is quick-drying to avoid drenching you on a warm day.

Moreover, the fabric wicks away moisture from the interior, preventing the build-up of sweat. This keeps you dry, refreshed and comfortable for 18-holes.

Under Armour created the Playoff 2.0 line with 4-way stretch material to encourage maximum range of motion during your swing. The stretchable material prevents arm restriction on your backswing and follow through. This enables maximum clubhead speed generation.

Ultimately, this is a relatively pricey shirt and for a good reason. It keeps you comfortable and promotes excellent freedom of movement. Lastly, it is moisture-wicking and breathable.

Pros

• Breathable
• Moisture wicking
• 4-way stretch
• Machine washable
• Multiple colors and patterns

Cons

• Moderately expensive
• It does not contain anti-odor technology

2. Puma Golf Grill to Green Polo

The Puma Golf Grill to Green Polo is packed with technology built to keep you dry, cool and protected from the sun. This design keeps you comfortable on the links and prevents your skin from roasting under the summer sun.

Puma employed DRYCELL technology to ensure dryness throughout your round. Technical performance fabric extracts the moisture from your skin, maintaining dryness and comfort.

Further enhancing your experience is a performance fit design that contains wider shoulders, sleeves, and a chest area. This allows you to produce optimal upper body rotation during your swing without restrictions. As a result, it helps you boost the power of your swing for a straight, long golf shot.

UPF 40+ material means that the shirt blocks out 1/40th of the sun’s radiation to which your skin is exposed. Therefore, you stand a higher chance of walking off the golf course with limited sunburn. Lastly, the Puma Grill to Green Polo is easy to maintain thanks to its machine-washable fabric.

Pros

• UPF protection
• Drycell technology
• Moisture wicking fabric
• Maximum freedom of movement
• Moderately affordable

Cons

• Reduced breathability
• It does not contain anti-odor technology

3. Nike Dri-Fit Victory

Nike constructed their Dri-Fit Victory golf shirts from recycled polyesters to highlight the company’s commitment to reducing emissions.

This moderately priced golf shirt features Dri-Fit technology to wick sweat away from your skin, keeping you dry during an outing on the golf course. Furthermore, the lightweight polyester materials welcome airflow through the shirt to cool you off when sweating.

In addition, the polyester material encourages a maximum range of motion, preventing upper body restriction on your swing. Plus, the performance fit of the shirt frees up your shoulders and chest to produce excellent rotation on your backswing and downswing.

Furthermore, the Dri-Fit Victory is a machine washable shirt promoting hassle-free maintenance. Simply throw the shirt into the washing machine after every round to keep it spotless and smelling fresh.

Pros

• Sweat-wicking material
• Crafted from recycled polyester fibers
• Stretchable
• Freedom of movement
• Breathable

Cons

• Moderately expensive
• It does not possess anti-odor technology

4. Adidas Performance Primegreen Polo

Adidas kept up with their apparel rival Nike by crafting the Primegreen Polo. Like the Nike Dri-Fit, this Adidas golf shirt is crafted from high-performance recyclable materials. Adidas suggests that shirts constructed from Primegreen comprise 40% of recycled materials.

The Primegreen features a rib-knit collar. Plus, the shirt is constructed with lightweight jersey fabric to encourage airflow through the material. The constant airflow cools your skin down, which goes a long way to keeping you dry.

Moreover, the material possesses moisture-wicking qualities to remove sweat from your skin and the shirt’s interior. This keeps you and your shirt dry for 18-holes. The combination of moisture-wicking and quick dry qualities leads to exceptional comfort.

Pros

• Constructed from recycled materials
• Breathable
• Moisture wicking
• Quick dry
• A wealth of color options

Cons

5. Columbia Omni-Wick Drive Polo

The stand-out features of the Columbia Omni-Wick Drive polo are sun protection and moisture wicking. Therefore, the outdoor apparel giant presents a golf shirt that is protective, comfortable and offers a host of colors to select from.

The star of the show is the Omni-Wick technology which extracts sweat from your skin and the shirt’s interior. As a result, the technology helps you remain dry, even in the hottest conditions.

Aside from keeping you dry, this shirt is fitted with Omni-Shade protection to shield your sensitive skin from the sun’s harsh rays. The Omni-Shade technology deflects 1/30th of the fire ball’s radiation to prevent burn and permanent skin damage.

Finally, the Columbia Omni-Wick Drive Polo is machine washable and available in 26 colors.

Pros

• UPF 30 sun protection
• Omni-wick moisture removal
• The shirt keeps you dry in hot weather
• 26 colors to choose from
• Machine washable

Cons

• Reduced breathability
• The material does not possess anti-odor qualities.

6. Callaway Ottoman Performance Polo

Our final golf shirt pick for warm weather is the Callaway Ottoman Performance polo. Callaway crafted a comfy, moisture-wicking, sun protective shirt to use in the summer. Therefore, it takes longer for the sun’s rays to burn the skin on your upper body, and you remain refreshed and dry.

Opti-Dri technology features to extract sweat from your skin and the interior of the polo. This performance avoids large sweat patches from building up around your shirt.

Furthermore, the material possesses UPF 15 sun protection, which blocks out 1/15th of sunlight rays. Although it is better than nothing, it is a far cry from the UPF 40 and 50 protection of competitor golf shirts.

A ribbed texture material offers a stylish look to improve your fashion sense. Plus, it pushes airflow through the shirt, ensuring all moisture is removed from the skin. In addition, the Ottoman consists of stretch fabric designed to enhance your range of motion during your swing.

Finally, the Callaway Ottoman Performance Polo features a generous, comfortable fit to improve your experience.

Pros

• Moisture wicking
• Sun Protection
• Breathable
• Comfortable fit
• Maximum stretch

Cons

Matt Stevens

Matt Callcott-Stevens started playing golf at the age of 4 when Rory Sabattini’s father put a 7-iron and putter in his hand. He has experienced all the highs and lows the game can throw at you and has now settled down as a professional golf writer. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf for 28 years.

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