Fabricated, phony holidays -- think "Free Hugs Day," "Kittens Awareness Week" or "birthdays" -- occasionally get under my skin. However, a select few hit the right notes and deliver a disproportionate amount of joy (see: Ice Cream on Waffles Day). "National Hat Day" definitely falls in this category.
Hats are universal on the PGA Tour, with most serving as billboards for players' endorsem*nt deals. Alas, the majority of guys these days rock the baseball-style cap; diversity is non-existent.
That hasn't always been the case. In honor of National Hat Day, here are 12 unique and memorable headgear choices in golf:
Bill Murray's Umbrella hat
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I'm 87 percent convinced that straw hats would be omnipresent if Norman didn't blow the 1996 Masters. Now, only retirees wear them.
Ben Hogan's cap
Technically it's called an "ivy cap." But if we are having a conversation and I say, "Ben Hogan cap," you picture exactly what I'm trying to paint.
Old Tom Morris' deerstalker hat
Admittedly, I had to Google, "Are there deer in Scotland?" which sent me down a crazy rabbit hole. Hey, did you know Scotland has four species of deer: roe deer, red deer, sika and fallow deer? And only roe deer and red deer are indigenous to the country? See, at least you learned something from this post.
Bill Murray's Elmer Fudd hat
I still remember seeing this look for the first time and thinking, "Yeah, that seems about right." And if you receive this appreciation for wearing an Elmer Fudd hat, you're doing life right.
Shingo Katayama's cowboy hat
Poor Shingo. He's one of the best golfers in Japanese history, and boasts a forth-place finish at the 2009 Masters on his resume. Yet, people only remember him for the cowboy hat. There's a lesson in there.
Ricky Barnes' painter's cap
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Personally, I'm not a fan of this look. But I'm also terrified to say anything negative, because Barnes is one of the few tour players that could legitimately kick my butt. Okay, that's a lie; everyone on tour could kick my butt. Still, given his insane workout routine, you don't want to be on the business end of a Barnes' beatdown.
Payne Stewart's Ben Hogan cap
It was a nod to the past, yet also defining an in-the-present look for Payne. It opened him up to scrutiny; luckily, he had the game to back it up.
Rickie Fowler's flat bill
Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images
Tiger Woods might ridicule it, but hey, that's what's in with youth nowadays. While not everyone can pull it off, gotta admit, it looks fresh on Fowler.
Carl Spackler's bucket hat
Apologies to Kirk Triplett, but Murray transformed this hat from ridiculous to . . . well, it's still ridiculous. Which made it apropos for Spackler.
