Several golfers took the opportunity to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant during the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s first round.
Justin Thomas wore his Lower Merion High School Kobe Bryant jersey on the 16th hole.
Max Homa wore his No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers gold jersey, also on the 16th hole.
Tony Finau played his round in Lakers purple-and-gold golf shoes.
Thomas arrived at TPC Scottsdale this week with his wedges stamped with tributes to Bryant: “Mamba mentality,” “Black Mamba,” “Kobe Bean Bryant” and “81 points.”
Thomas was asked how it felt to wear the Kobe jersey on the 16th hole.
“It felt great. I’ve played a lot of golf in that, believe it or not, so it felt pretty comfortable.
“He had such an impact on me and he was such a person that I looked up to and tried to kind of have my mental approach like that, I felt like it was very fitting. There’s only one tournament all year you can put a jersey on and hit a shot. Just the timing worked out to be here, so it was a no-brainer for me.”
Finau’s shoes were mostly purple with a gold Nike swoosh and the numbers 8 and 24, in reference to the two numbers, both since retired, that Bryant wore for the Lakers.
Finau spoke to reporters last Sunday after the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
“I’m a huge Kobe fan and a Laker fan single-handedly because of Kobe Bryant,” Finau said. “To have that happen to one of the greatest ever to play the game of basketball and one of the greatest athletes in sports is so tragic.”
