After PGA Championship, McIlroy and Fowler are 2014 Winners

NY Daily News

It was at the beginning of the 2013 PGA Tour schedule when Rory McIlroy signed his massive $200 million long-term deal with Nike. By the end of the year, McIlroy had gone winless and there were rumblings that the deal was a bust. 


Some cited the new club manufacturer as a source of the struggles; some cited his then-relationship with Caroline Wozniacki. A little patience was all that was needed, though. Because in 2014, McIlroy is asserting himself as the top golfer in the world. And he looks to have gained the killer instinct it takes to win majors.

My Experience at The Barclays

For the past 6 months, I have had the privilege of working for the PGA Tour as the Operations Coordinator on The Barclays at Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City, NJ. With a very minimal background in golf I was not sure what I was getting myself into until I actually started back in April. I was not aware that this is one of the five largest tournaments on the PGA Tour as well as the event with the most hospitality structures available on Tour. The Barclays is the first tournament of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which is the postseason where the top 125 players compete for the FedEx Cup.

What The US Open At Merion Teaches You About Your Sports Career

The US Open teed off from Merion Golf Club this morning with the players taking on an incredibly unique golf course far as US Open golf course standards go.  However, the uniqueness of Merion is not unlike the unique journey of a career in sports.  The pros may be teeing off for one of the PGA Tour's four majors, Tiger Woods for his 15th, but we are just teeing off on life in the sports industry.  Merion is playing just under 7,000 yards, 6,996 yards this week to be exact, the first US Open under the 7,000 yard mark since 2004.  The course, just like your career, is not without its twists and turns, zigs and zags, uphills and downhills.

Leaving Your Mark: Careers in Golf

In honor of the U.S. Open coming to Merion, I wanted to present both the types of golf organizations and the roles that exist as you consider non-big 4 team sports career opportunities.  The following list of “golf” organizations is a fairly loose interpretation in a sense that I also include equipment and apparel companies, retail organizations, and a TV network.  Additionally, the “roles” might not apply to every organization and might be unique to one or two of those listed.  Neither list is entirely complete or inclusive.

How To Lose $16 Million With One Racist Phrase: The Sergio Garcia Edition

Athletes and endorsements go hand and hand. I mean, we have: LeBron James and Nike, RGIII and Adidas, and even Jimmy Johnson and Extenze (yes, that was an attempt at humor). These companies want to market their products by using the best of the best in various fields to make average Joes want to go out and buy their ridiculous overpriced products. However, the athletes also have an obligation to represent the company properly at all times by not acting like an uneducated imbecile. This is where PGA golfer Sergio Garcia screwed up…big time Tuesday night.

The Sports Biz Report Podcast - Episode 1

US Open - Biggest Winners

The US Open at the Olympic Club definitely proved to be golf's toughest test this past weekend.  Maybe the PGA Tour was angered by Rory McIlroy tearing up the tournament last year, who knows.  This year Webb Simpson out lasted the field by winning the US Open at a score of +1 and taking home his first PGA Tour major victory in the process.  Interesting note, I have been reading that Simpson is unlikely to participate in the Open Championship in July because his wife is expecting their child.  So going into the British Open, I'm doing my research and picking a golfer whose wife just recently gave birth within the month or is expecting within the month (Masters champion Bubba Watson had adopted a baby boy, Caleb, within the month when he won his first major).  As with any visible sporting event, there are winners and there are losers.  When it comes to branding, here is my brand winner and loser from the US Open.

Big Winner - Beau Hossler and University of Texas


Hossler is the 17 year old amateur who made a remarkable run at the Olympic Club and at one point, many thought could possibly be the champion.  After a Sunday mini implosion, Hossler didn't even end up as the low amateur of the tournament. However, he had already made a name for himself and the college that he will playing golf at after he graduates high school.  Donning the University of Texas visor all week and the Longhorns burnt orange shirt on Sunday, Hossler and his college were given plenty of air time by the NBC crew.

Honorable Mention
Jim Furyk - 5 Hour Energy
Webb Simpson - Wake Forest Arnold Palmer Scholarship
Collegiate Golf in general.

Big Loser - Bubba Watson


Watson simply had a rough start to his first Father's Day weekend as a father when he missed the US Open cut.  Shooting a rough 78 on Thursday, Watson was snippy with reporters and some may say even a bit childish. Everybody loves Bubba because he's laid back, but when the tides turn and he isn't winning, that laid back attitude turns into a perceived lazy demeanor.  His performance this past weekend may have some even saying that his Masters win was a bit of a fluke.  I wouldn't go that far, but his performance and antics definitely didn't sit well with many.

Honorable Mention
Luke Donald - Missing cuts in majors for the world's #1 player should not be the norm.
Rory McIlroy - US Open winner to US Open missed cut in one year, oy.

5 Things Rickie Fowler Brings to Golf

I posed a question last week, after Rickie Fowler won the Wells Fargo Championship, asking if people thought Fowler was here to stay or not at the top of the PGA Tour.  One week later, I think we are a little bit closer to our answer after he posted a tied for 2nd finish at The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.  Rickie Fowler brings together attributes that we have seen scattered among Tour players, but rarely in one single player.  Here are five (well maybe just four) things that make Rickie Fowler vital to the future success of the PGA Tour.

           1. Signature Style
You would be hard pressed to find one single word to describe Fowler’s style. He’s Southern California 23 year old extreme sport athlete and boy band singer turned professional golfer, there are no single words for that. His Oklahoma State orange is shining brighter and brighter every Sunday. His signature Puma hats have been a hit in golf retail stores all over the country. He isn’t your father’s golfer, yet he’s taking over your father’s game.

2. Marketability
Since the day he earned his PGA Tour card in 2010, Fowler’s name has been talked about week in and week out.  His signature style leads into his marketability.  He’s not only young; he has that sort of teenage flare that the Tour has lacked.  The college generation now who grew up watching golf had Tiger Woods.  The teenage demographic is looking for someone to latch on to.  Granted, Rickie Fowler hasn’t had Tiger Woods-esque success, but only few have.  The man is only 23 years old; he has time to win a few majors.  His unique style makes him marketable for now, and his game will soon catch up (and that is no knock on his game).
Fowler is part of the Golf Boys, who made that charity music video.  He was in the PGA Tour’s These Guys are Good marketing campaign.  He is currently a walking Puma advertisement.  In the bag he uses a bunch of different brands of clubs including Cobra (Puma’s golf company), Adams, Titlelist, and Scotty Cameron (via his personal website).

3. Diverse Demographic
Many don't know that Fowler is part Japanese, part Navajo Indian underneath that Puma hat and SoCal hair.  Golf is typically considered a “white man’s” sport, but ethnically intriguing golfers do have a tendency to create some buzz on the Tour (ah hem, you know who).  Do I think that Fowler’s presence will singlehandedly increase the number of Japanese and Native American golfers on the Tour?  No, not at all, but it does hammer home the point that he’s different. 
Most importantly, he brings golf to the younger generations.  Sports Business Journal published the demographic information of the PGA Tour’s fan base last year, which showed only 14% of fans were between the ages of 18 and 29.  Fowler fits right in the middle of that demographic.  I don’t think there is any question that if Fowler’s success continues, that number will rise.  Also, he hits the 18 and under demographic perfectly.  If you don’t believe me, then you haven’t spent much time on golf courses lately.  His presence is obvious.  That demographic is vital to the long term success of the game. 

4. Skill
After all this talk about what Rickie Fowler brings off the course you must remember that he is no slouch on the course either.  We are talking about a player who was the top amateur in the world in 2007 and 2008.  After earning his Tour card in 2010, Fowler wasted no time at all winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award.  His best finish at a major came in The Open Championship (British Open) in 2011 where he finished tied for 5th.  Fowler has been off to a blazing start in 2012 with his first career PGA Tour victory at the Wells Fargo Championship and a second place finish at this past weekend’s PLAYERS Championship.  He currently ranks in the top 25 in the World Golf Rankings (18).

5. One Talked About Mustache
Rickie Fowler may have the most talked about mustache on Tour (sorry Johnson Wagner).  He is nowhere near Rollie Fingers territory (right), probably closer to Derek Holland (bottom right), but that thing gets some serious press time.  Something tells me that the ‘stache is here to stay for a little while longer given his recent success, so only time will tell if he can bring it to the Aaron Rodgers level (bottom left).  Whatever the case may be, people are talking about Rickie Fowler.  See, I told you there are either 4 or 5 reasons depending on how you looked at it.

All jokes aside, Rickie Fowler represents a bright (and colorful) future for the PGA Tour.  He’s a young and already successful brand.  Now, as his game improves, he looks to be a contender week after week.  Ready or not, Rickie Fowler is here.

Agree?  Disagree?  Share your thoughts below.

Is Rickie Fowler Here To Stay?

Rickie Fowler won his first event on the PGA Tour last Sunday when won a three way playoff at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.  Many say that this was a great moment for golf because Fowler hits the younger demographics better than anybody in recent memory.  What are your thoughts: Is he good for the game of golf? Is Rickie Fowler here to stay at the top?