The Loop

PGA Tour winner's cool new golf bag honors Naval destroyer he used to serve on

May 13, 2017

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Billy Hurley III already had one of the more unusual backgrounds of anyone on the PGA Tour. And now he has the coolest golf bag in pro golf.

At this week's Players Championship, Hurley unveiled a sleek new bag that's designed to look like the destroyer he served on for five years. Yes, we said "destroyer." Hurley served in the Navy for five years after graduating from the Naval Academy in 2004. Take a look at the bag that's drawing plenty of eyeballs this week at TPC Sawgrass.

Hurley's former ship, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93) was stationed in the Persian Gulf during his time serving. The bag also has the words “Imua e na Koa Kai,” which means "Go forward sea warriors," as well as a familiar Navy cry, "Don't Give Up The Ship."

The man behind the creation of the bag is the same guy who carries it, Clay Duerson. Hurley's caddie also happens to be a graphic designer (check out his website, creativecaddie.com), who once one a Travis Matthew contest to design Bubba Watson's shirt ahead of the 2011 U.S. Open.

"I thought it would be cool if we made it while we were looking for a sponsor," Duerson said of the bag. "We’ve been working on it this year and got it in this week, so it’s great."

Duerson doesn't think this will lead to designing bags for other golfers, but with the buzz his latest project has generated, who knows.

"The response has been amazing," said Hurley, who made the cut at the Players for the first time in his second try. "Everybody loves it, everyone on Twitter wants one. So it came out really well."