• Loading stock data...
Friday, July 18, 2025

NIL Has Made Many Golfers De Facto Pros Before They Leave College

  • Brands are lining up to sponsor top players in the college ranks.
  • Amateurs can familiarize themselves with a company before turning pro.
Jun 15, 2024; Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Ludvig Aberg hits from the number eight tee box during the third round of the U.S. Open golf tournament.
Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports

In professional golf, top players earn millions of dollars through contracts with companies that supply their clubs and clothes. Up until 2021, those sponsorship dollars would start hitting a golfer’s bank account only after they gave up their amateur status. But since the emergence of relaxed name, image, and likeness policies in college sports, that process has sped up.

Instead of recruiting top amateurs after they’ve proved themselves playing for a major university, brands now have the option of betting on young talent before they become household names. There are pros and cons to that strategy, though. 

“It’s hard enough, when they’re professionals, to really measure the ROI on some of these agreements,” says Jeff Lienhart, the president of Adidas Golf, which heading into last week’s Scottish Open sponsored three of the top 10 ranked men’s golfers in the world. “We believe in the system and we believe in having these partnerships with professional athletes. NIL is even that much more difficult to measure an ROI.”

Still, visibility is key for brands looking to sell shirts, shoes, pants, and more. So, striking an early relationship with a player who might one day be in the final group of a major, like this week’s Open Championship, is worth the investment. “It gives you a seat at the table, so that when they turn professional, you’re in a good position to negotiate what the future might hold,” Lienhart tells Front Office Sports, white noting sales often spike after an Adidas player wins or has a strong Sunday finish.

Players Have Options

While NIL deals are great for college golfers’ wallets, they can make for some tricky situations. 

Michael Thorbjornsen earned his PGA Tour card by finishing first in the PGA Tour University rankings during his senior season at Stanford, which is a Nike school. But Thorbjornsen opted for an NIL deal with Adidas. “It was cool to be able to see what the other product looks like and what it feels like,” he tells FOS. “Obviously, it took a little bit of time to get used to it.” 

Wearing dueling brands during his college years didn’t have much of an impact on his decision upon turning pro last month, though. “I guess you could say Nike was there, but it never really was,” Thorbjornsen says. “They weren’t successful in that.” Thorbjornsen followed in the footsteps of fellow PGA Tour University winner Ludvig Åberg (above), who also had an Adidas deal in college and now as a pro, currently ranked No. 4 in the world.

The New-Age Golfer

Apparel endorsements are just one piece of the puzzle for young golfers, though. Equipment manufacturers routinely shell out seven-figure paydays for players to swing their clubs, and all kinds of companies from banks and credit cards to insurance providers and airlines are willing to spend the same amount for nothing more than a logo on a shirt or golf bag. 

Now, that all comes before they even join a tour. “Nothing really feels that different,” Thorbjornsen says of his transition from college to pro player. He’s not alone. For most up-and-coming pros, that’s simply the new reality.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

(NCL_OSU_11_SUGAR_LAURON 04JAN11) Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) slips around the Arkansas Razorbacks defense during first half of the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, January 4, 2011.

Terrelle Pryor’s Case for NIL Backpay Dismissed in Court

Pryor played seven years in the NFL after leaving OSU amid a scandal.

Golf’s Prize Money Boom Is Slowing Down

There is no purse increase at The Open Championship.

Netflix Beats Projections Again—and Plots Big Holiday Sports Slate

The streaming giant again beats analyst projections in every respect.

Cleveland’s WNBA Team Follows Golden State’s Proven Blueprint

The franchise will play its first WNBA season in 2028.

Featured Today

Jul 21, 2024; Ayrshire, SCT; Xander Schauffele celebrates with Claret Jug after winning the Open Championship golf tournament at Royal Troon.

The Boozy History and Traditions of The Open’s Claret Jug

The Open awards the world’s most famous wine decanter.
2025 PDC World Darts Championship Final - Luke Littler vs Michael Van Gerwen
July 16, 2025

A Teen Darts Prodigy Is Becoming Bigger Than the Game Itself

Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler is cashing in on his devastatingly accurate shot.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive
July 13, 2025

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.
July 12, 2025

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Bradley Beal
exclusive
July 17, 2025

‘Brad Doesn’t Like Change’: Beal Agent Says He Wants Long-Term Clippers Deal

Beal agreed to a contract buyout with the Suns on Wednesday.
July 17, 2025

T.J. Watt Becomes NFL’s Highest-Paid Non-QB

Watt’s new Steelers contract comes with $108 million fully guaranteed.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
Oct 13, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya poses for a photo with the time clock after finishing first in the women’s race, setting a new world record at 2:09:56 during the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park.
July 17, 2025

Kenyan Whose Record Shocked Running World Suspended for Drugs

Her drug test showed levels 190 times above the allowed amount.
Collins
July 17, 2025

NFL Second-Round Impasse May End As Niners Give Pick $9M Guaranteed

The contract isn’t fully guaranteed like the earlier second-rounder deals.
Caitlin Clark
July 17, 2025

Caitlin Clark Out for WNBA All-Star Game, 3-Point Contest With Injury

Clark and Satou Sabally will miss the game with injuries.
Apr 8, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) reacts during the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Footprint Center.
July 16, 2025

Bradley Beal Agrees to Suns Buyout, Will Join Clippers

Beal is the latest star player to leave Phoenix behind Kevin Durant.