Moore had surgery to repair a wrist injury in 2006 which kept nagging at him throughout 2008, a year in which he took time off several times during the season to help heal the wrist and a sore shoulder. Despite some nagging injuries, Moore has still managed to make a name for himself with his playing ability. He was the first player since Tiger Woods to go directly from college to the PGA in the same season without going to Q School. He has played well in both majors and regular tour stops, but was never able to seal the deal. His win at the Wyndham takes a huge monkey off his back and opens the door to future victories and possible Ryder and President's Cup teams.
Now, on to the real impressive stuff. You'll notice that Moore plays with a hat that says....well, nothing. And the logo on his shirt is...well, nonexistent. Okay, so what's his staff bag look like, you say? It's a hideous lime-green and black monstrosity. Is he even wearing spikes??
He's starting to look more and more like Jesper Parnevik with his argyle sweater vests and loosened neckties. You see, Ryan Moore doesn't care what you think about the way he dresses. He's actually somewhat of a trendsetter in this respect, but even more amazing is that he's completely sponsorless. No logos, no advertisements, no special colors or accessories - Ryan Moore is his own man.
Virtually everyone (if not everyone) on the PGA is sponsored by someone, even if it's just a little simple logo on a hat or on a shirt sleeve or on the bag. But not Ryan. Ryan plays what he wants and what he likes. He doesn't accept extra money to play equipment he'd rather not play. He doesn't have a deal to wear clothes he doesn't want to wear. He's plenty comfortable with the gear he has and wants to keep it that way. Hell, if he was able to play lights-out amateur golf this way, why couldn't this same formula bring him success on the tour?
I hate to use the word "refreshing", but there truly is something extraordinarily refreshing in seeing a professional athlete turn down money because he'd rather do things HIS way. Ryan will let his special blend of clubs and golf balls do the talking for him. Maybe in the future he'll be approached by a company with an offer for him that he can't refuse, and I can't imagine he'll go on forever without signing some kind of deal...but he's gone this long without signing a contract and that is extremely impressive. With players of all sports and their greedy agents fighting for every last possible cent, it's really nice to see that one Ryan Moore is not a sellout.
