To say that Jordan Spieth had a rough Masters Sunday would be like saying Greg Norman had a shaky Masters Sunday in 1996. Somewhere Under Armour probably had a full marketing blitz ready to go – which included the recent wide availability of Spieth’s UA Drive One – after seeing him rise above the pack for the first three days in Augusta. After dominating the field for the entire week and looking well on his way to picking up his second consecutive green jacket, Spieth’s coronation as the best undisputed best golfer in the world was rudely interrupted by the harsh realities of the sport.
A par 3 so dangerous that Jack Nicklaus actually devised a strategy to avoid it altogether, Spieth would knock two balls into Rae’s Creek on the 12th hole, finishing with a quadruple bogey 7. Despite the setback and the loss of his seemingly insurmountable lead, Spieth showed the trademark mental toughness that put him in contention to possibly win all four majors (he ended up with two) last year and fought his way back up the leaderboard. While the comeback came up short in the end, Spieth’s grace and class shined through the disappointment and that’s something Under Armour can be proud of.
It’s a testament to Spieth and Under Armour that the boo birds didn’t come out in force like they would in basketball when someone who isn’t a Nike athlete fail. But in golf, everybody understands how hard and cruel the sport can be; it’s not just about the shoes and nobody was pointing the finger at Under Armour. And they shouldn’t, because the UA Drive One is pretty awesome in an old school way.
The Drive One features a soft perforated ArmourVent upper with OutDry technology that keeps you cool yet dry. It feels more like a traditional golf shoe, and if you have gotten used to more fabric-based uppers like the ones found on the Nike TW ’15 or the Nike Flyknit Chukka Golf, it’s a new feeling. Well, it’s a new old feeling is probably the more apt way to describe slipping these on. You won’t be mistaking these for kicks to wear off the course after a round that’s for sure.
Speaking of slipping, you shouldn’t have any problem with that thanks to the carbon fiber heel counter. The blue and grey provide a nice design and pairs up quite well with the UA logo. Unlike other shoes that might have your ankle moving around on the follow-through, the counter keeps it in place so you can focus on your shot. It doesn’t feel overwhelmingly tight that it feels constricting like other shoes with a similar feature have done in the past, so it strikes a good balance.
As if the soft upper wasn’t enough, the Micro G cushioning, which I have raved about in the best with Under Armour trainers, feels great to walk in. The molded, dual-density sock liner “molds” to your foot and as somebody with a wider size than most, it has enough give where you don’t feel like the shoe is choking you. Kind of important when you’re walking for a few hours on a warm summer day.
Sadly, I was going to do a live unboxing of the shoe so everybody can see it from opening to trying them on for the first time on the range, but unfortunately I decided to go on the windiest day of the year in Southern California so far and as I was getting ready to record, the wind took my box for a trip down the putting green and into the lake. It made for a fun snap though…
After trying on the Drive One, I can see why Jordan has kept on wearing them for over a year now. It continues Under Armour’s great run of performance footwear in all sports and as a golf shoe, it straddles the line being a modern golf shoe without having that sneaker look very well.
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