Lookback: Jarmo Sandelin and the Oakley Over The Tops

Every once in a while, golf style delivers a moment so audacious, so perfectly bizarre, it cements itself in the collective memory of fashion-forward fairway fans. One such moment came in June 2018, when Swedish pro Jarmo Sandelin strolled onto the European Senior Tour’s Shipco Masters—rocking a pair of Oakley Over the Top sunglasses.

Yes, those sunglasses.

Designed by Peter Yee, the Oakley Over the Tops are more alien tech than eyewear—originally built for performance but remembered for pure spectacle. Most famously, they appeared on Trinidadian sprinter Ato Boldon during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, a fitting stage for what might be Oakley's wildest silhouette. But here's the kicker—Sandelin actually wore them two years before that, making his fashion-forward flex not just unexpected, but pioneering.

They curved over the head, wrapped like a sci-fi headpiece, and felt like the kind of thing a video game villain would wear to block out UV rays and haters. And somehow, on that sunny day in Denmark, they made sense.

In a golf world dominated by subdued polos and risk-averse neutrals, Jarmo’s Over the Tops were a glitch in the matrix—a reminder that golf, at its best, lets personality lead. And Oakley? Well, Oakley’s always been that slightly chaotic cousin in the golf apparel family. Maybe not always in the center of the photo, but when they show up… you remember.

Adding a new twist to the tale: PIET, the São Paulo-based label known for its directional, street-meets-sport aesthetic, recently teased a pair of Oakley Over the Tops in their Paris showroom. Rumors are swirling about a potential collab.

So where does this moment land in the history of golf fashion? Honestly, it’s up there. Not for elegance. Not for influence. But for audacity. For the love of the game. For the sheer, “did-he-really-wear-those?” of it all.

And for what it’s worth: yes, Jarmo really did wear them. Over the top and ahead of his time.

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