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J.J. Spaun’s 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the U.S. Open Sunday has led to “pandemonium” for the company behind his putter, which is experiencing a significant rise in sales. It might also win him an equipment endorsement.
The PGA Tour journeyman used one of the zero torque putters from L.A.B. Golf, the DF3, on his winning putt. The shot led to a surge of new sales and social media posts referencing the company and its products, according to Sam Hahn, founder and CEO of L.A.B. Golf.
“It’s been total pandemonium,” he tells Front Office Sports.
The company does not yet have an official endorsement with Spaun, but L.A.B. Golf has already been in touch with the golfer’s people “and we hope to make that happen,” Hahn says.
“We’re only just recently in a position where we could afford any kind of endorsement deals,” he says. “Hopefully, this puts us over the edge in terms of being in that category.”
The company, formed in 2018, has previously collaborated with Adam Scott on the OZ.1i collection of putters. Other famous golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, and Sergio Garcia have used L.A.B. Golf products, although not in any official capacity.
“We don’t pay anybody,” Hahn tells FOS. “Besides Adam Scott, everyone just uses our [putters] on the merits of the technology.”
Hahn is optimistic the company can handle an uptick of orders. Between the collaboration with Scott and the litany of golfers using L.A.B. Golf putters on tour, the business has been taking steps to prepare for an opportunity like this.
“We’re lucky we were already on the path to experiencing this kind of demand,” Hahn says. “It’s exciting to be prepared for this moment. At any other point in our history, we weren’t.”
L.A.B. Golf has no major private backers. Hahn says that with the exception of a “small friend and family round, we bootstrapped all the way here.” That said, he’s willing to listen if the attention provided by Spaun’s winning putt gets anyone interested in investing.
“We’re open to any phone calls, of course,” he says.
Spaun, 34, received a record-tying $4.3 million winner’s check with his victory at Oakmont—nearly one-quarter of what his career earnings were coming into the tournament. An American with Filipino and Mexican heritage, Spaun had only won once before on the PGA Tour: the Valero Texas Open in 2022. Earlier this year, he finished second at the Players Championship after losing to Rory McIlroy in a playoff.
At -1, Spaun beat Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre (+1) by two strokes after draining a 64-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. That capped a back-nine 32 (-3) for Spaun, who rebounded after a 40 (+5) on the front nine.
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