It's Been 8 Years, Can We Get Another #SB2K17 Already?

The weather lately has served as a little teaser into the brighter, warmer days ahead of us. Across the northeast and midwest, temperatures finally left whatever is colder than frigid and reached a mild 50 degrees reminding us that things maybe aren’t so bleak. And there’s nothing quite like that first semi-warm, sunny day in the winter to unite us all, and taking to social media to marvel at just how nice being outdoors is.

Enter the latest post taking over my X timeline.

When it’s hot outside, you’re more active. You’re out and about with your friends and those golf trips you and your squad have been planning feel a little bit more surreal. (I know that there’s a Google Flights tab open on your phone as you’re reading this.)

Sometimes, planning what you’re going to do once summertime rolls around ends up being more fun than the actual activity you’re mulling over. And it’s been straight up hilarious to see how people are longing for longer days and warmer nights. The responses to this tweet (are they still called tweets???) have had me giggling, but I found the final boss all of the reactions.

Thank you Claire for unlocking one of my favorite memories in pro golf history: The Spring Break Crew (2016-2017).

Man, those were the days. I remember refreshing my Snapchat back in high school every hour just to see what those guys were up to. The tomfoolery was iconic. The gaudy board shorts. The insane golfer’s tan lines. Those two trips post-Masters take you back to when times were simpler.

The no shoes, no shirt vibes were at an all time high. It was golf’s hottest it boys at the time just bro-ing down. The squad made up of Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Smylie Kaufman felt like you and your homies. It wasn’t fake. It was unadulterated, organic moments between real friends.

It felt relatable and unserious, and the timing was perfect. Right after Masters week, before the season really ramped up and the guys could chill after one of the most important weeks in golf that’s also so rooted in tradition.

I think the dichotomy is why I loved it so much. Just days prior, I was watching these four golfers so locked in, on their Ps and Qs parading around Augusta National and then suddenly they’re shotgunning beers and ripping drivers off a charter boat.

We haven’t really seen that kind of relaxed nature from golfers since. It’s not that golfers aren’t fun and silly anymore, but I think times have changed with social media and the new generation of younger guys feel more polished at times.

The OG Spring Breakers weren’t dads and husbands yet, they were just 20-somethings who happened to be hitting their strides as professionals at the same time. It was kinda nuts when you think about it.

Spieth was coming off major two wins in 2015. JT went on to capture PGA Championship in 2017, and Fowler had his best majors finish soon after, a solo 2nd at The Masters in 2018. This crew was stacked! Major champs and good friends? What could be better?

It’s been cool to see the transition of these fellas; from the young bucks on the TOUR to the seasoned vets who still know how to get down.

But selfishly I want to see a new crew emerge. But no groups really stand out.

There are a few pairs that come to mind—like Scottie and Tom Kim, the Scandinavian boys Viktor and Ludvig, Xander and Patrick—but no squads. I’m sure they exist—reveal yourselves because I’m ready for a Spring Break Crew 2.0!

We didn’t know how close the OGs really were until they all popped out on vacay together, so I’m holding out hope that a new golf gang will arise from the ashes. Maybe this time around it’s a girl golf squad. Or a Korn Ferry clique. Or perhaps we let the nostalgia of the late 2010s remain imprinted in our minds and hearts forever.

If you can’t out-do the doer, leave it be.