The Starter no.7

We’d rather be golfing. Let’s take this opportunity to cleanse your palate before you dive into an issue full of this week’s highs and lows and celebrate an individual, who unlike PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, has helped unify two competing entities towards one common goal. I’m talking about none other than Time’s Person of the Year, Taylor Swift. Who could’ve imagined a world where millions of “swifties” would coalesce with Chiefs Kingdom to tomahawk chop their little hearts out on Sundays? That’s the type of harmony we all need right now. I raise a glass to you Taylor. Shall you inspire those presiding over the future of golf to flip the track from Bad Blood to You Belong With Me in 2024.

NIL has Changed the Game

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) reemerged in the headlines this week as NCAA president Charlie Baker publicly expressed his desire to create a new subdivision within Division I that would allow participating schools greater autonomy around policy-making and compensation of their student-athletes. The letter sent to Division I members, and obtained by Yahoo Sports, outlines opportunities for schools to establish their own NIL deals with student-athletes, an alternative to the current NIL structure and a monumental shift from the direction of the NCAA under previous president Mark Emmert.

NIL and Amateur Golf

In 2021, soon after the NCAA’s introduction of their NIL policies, the USGA updated its own Rules of Amateur Status to allow golfers the opportunity to receive compensation from social media sponsorships, autograph signings, and other personal appearances. While football and basketball student-athletes account for the lions share of NIL partnerships, some of the countries top amateur golfers have capitalized on their growing status within the game by signing lucrative deals. As college stars, Rose Zhang (pictured) and Sam Bennett were two of the most notable examples of amateur golfers cashing in. Zhang became the first student-athlete, male or female, to sign an NIL deal with Adidas when she inked her partnership with the three stripes in 2022. Bennett, even prior to his remarkable performance at the 2023 Masters, boasted deals with the likes of Johnnie-O, Vertex Bank, and CAP Fleet as a senior at Texas A&M. In a story published by GolfDigest, Following his run at Augusta, NIL expert and sports attorney Luke Feldlam estimated Bennett’s NIL worth to be “at least in the high six figures - and probably seven figures - for him moving forward”. That new found NIL boost somewhat eased the pain Sam felt having to forego a $261,000 check for his T16 finish because of his amateur status.

Zhang and Bennett are now pros but they helped pave the way for the next era of collegiate golfers looking to capitalize on their NIL. The current crop is highlighted by USC’s Amari Avery who this summer translated her phenomenal game into a multi-year deal with Lexus.

Leveraging NIL to Grow the Game

The term “Grow the Game” gets thrown around a lot now-a-days. But a young golfer out of Houston, TX is utilizing his budding stardom and NIL opportunities to help provide financial assistance to other aspiring players who lack the means to afford the substantial costs associated with competing in tournaments. Through his Lucky Swing Foundation, 15-year-old Lucky Cruz (yeah, the kid that lapped Charlie Woods at the NBIII Junior Golf National Championship last month) aspires to help find the next diamond in the rough and provide them with the financial support to reach their full potential as a golfer. In a “me first” world, Lucky’s desire to use his platform to help elevate the next generation of golfers is a great example of the potential good of NIL for the future of the game.

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Let The Best Team Win

K.J. Choi and Ernie Els (pictured) lead the International Team (111.5) into the final sessions with a .5 point advantage over Team USA (111) and 10 point lead over Team Europe (101.5). It is still anyone’s competition to win as 324 points will be up for grabs during the 12 single matches on Sunday.

A hallmark week for LIV Golf continues as two of it’s players, Louis Oosthuizen (-15) and Charl Schwartzel (-15), share the lead heading into the final round of the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship. The South African duo sit 5 shots clear of the field competing at Leopard Creek Country Club.

Editors Note: Your editor needs sleep so please forgive us for not reporting the conclusion of the tournament that is set to wrap after midnight eastern. Check this link for the final scores.

In Naples, the LPGA Tour and PGA Tour head into the final round of the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational with the team of Lydia Ko & Jason Day (-20) sitting 2 shots clear of the field. The format for Sunday is Modified Four-Ball. In this format, both players tee off, and then they switch balls for their second shots and play that same ball until it is holed. The lower score of the partners is then counted as the team score for the hole.

Around the Game

🏌️ Didn’t have this on my 2023 bingo card. Surreal scene as reigning Masters champ Jon Rahm, cloaked in a letterman jacket only AC Slater could truly appreciate, joins Bret Baier (Fox News) to make the official announcement of his departure to LIV Golf.

🏌️ 5 Percent Pandemonium. The USGA and R&A officially announce a golf-ball rollback. Our cats’ heads are officially falling off.

🏌️ In Bad Faith. PGA Tour officials are shocked that LIV would lure away Jon Rahm.

🏌️ Mo Money, Mo Problems. Has the PGA Tour promised checks they won’t be able to deliver? Tournament officials see significant troubles ahead as companies evaluate the increased costs to sponsor events.

🏌️ Speith Pushes Back. Jordan Speith rebukes the chatter that Patrick Cantlay is running the show on the PGA Tour Policy Board.

🏌️ Place your Bets. The newly launched ESPN Bet strikes a deal with the Quail Hollow Club (North Carolina) to be the exclusive betting operator of the soon to be former Wells Fargo Championship. 🚨 Segue Alert 🚨 

🏌️ Wells FargoNE. The prophecies that tournament officials laid out a few days earlier begin to come to fruition as one of the Tour’s longest tenured sponsors opts to not renew their sponsorship of a signature event.

🏌️ Strongly Worded Statements. Both Titleist and Wilson post statements questioning the USGA and R&A’s rollback decision.

Mountain Tiger

Tiger Woods is set to add a fourth 18-hole design credit to his resume, and the first of the mountain variety, as his firm TGR Design have begun the initial phase of developing Marcella Club in Park City, Utah. The 18-hole championship course will be situated 7,000 feet above sea level and is a part of a larger facility project that will include another golf course and an alpine skiing resort.

As described on the TGR website, the course has been routed to take advantage of the incredible long-range vistas while also incorporating contrasting intimate valleys between the ridges to create a truly unique and memorable golf experience. The course will provide a stern test for low handicap golfers, yet also present a fun, family friendly experience to allow individuals of all skill levels to come together and enjoy the course.

Arguably the greatest golfer of all-time is also partnered with Mike Trout, arguably the greatest baseball player of this era, on Trout National - The Reserve, an 18-hole championship course currently under construction in southern New Jersey.

More Courses

• Sea Trail Investments acquires three courses and plans major investment in community near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

• American golf tycoon Mike Kaiser faces headwinds in quest to build new championship course in Scotland. Scottish government has been asked to intervene following the recent approval of the Highland Council.

Worth the Follow: The Par Train

If you are anything like us, a fun afternoon 9 can quickly deteriorate with one wayward drive. Enter The Par Train, the team dedicated to getting your golf game back on the rails and helping you find the right mindset on your way to your next round. The quick hits on their IG account are on point, and for the struggling golfer who needs some extra encouragement, their weekly The Par Train - A Mental Golf Show pod will help straighten you out. Thanks to The Par Train, we only broke one club out of frustration during our last round, a significant improvement from the norm. Hop aboard the Train and give this crew a follow!

ICYMI

🗣️ We need him at Bethpage. Rory shares his thoughts on Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf.

↔️ Range Goats on the move. The Goats ship out defending singles champ Taylor Gooch and Harold Varner III on the same day.

🫶 An all-time call. One of the funniest reactions to a bunker shot that you will ever hear.

🎯 Clutch! Michael Wright holes out on the final hole of Champions Tour Q School to secure his card for 2024.

🎯 Ace Alert. Lexi Thompson is buying drinks after this ace at the Grant Thornton Invitational.

🧠 Eureka! Jared Doerfler posts a hypothetical 2024 schedule that would accommodate a potential union between LIV and the PGA Tour.

💬 Reader Rob Says…

In response to the question “how do you feel about the potential golf ball rollback?”

“As an elite country club player, losing 9-11 yards on my 110+ mph swing speeds is not something that I can get behind. The lack of distance will force me to practice hitting mid, and potentially long irons, which is something I cannot commit to doing. I don’t consume 2,500 - 3,000 empty calories a day to carry the ball 270 yards. I consume those calories to carry 280. As the great Tom Glavine and Greg Maddox once so eloquently stated…. chicks dig the long ball.“

Golf Scramble

Can you correctly unscramble these golf terms?

1. NIRXOS

2. LKVOIV

3. RSELGZANE

4. CNAIPNLE

5. EBRNOIDTEGS

Name that Golfer

Three clues. Can you name this player?

• 8x winner on the LPGA Tour.

• Father won the 1998 Australian Open (Tennis).

• Gold medalist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Issue no. 6 Answers

Whose Drink is it Anyways?: Transfusion

Name that Golfer: Sahith Theegala