Sportfive, the international sports marketing agency, has made further inroads into golf by acquiring the Global Golf Management company.
The deal announced today significantly increases the number of golf tournaments under the Sportfive wing. Global Golf Management, which is based in Chicago, USA, and is also active in consulting and sales, has put on close to 1,000 events on five continents since its launch over 30 years ago.
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The acquisition, which is part of Sportfive’s worldwide golf strategy launched in February this year, will involve Mike Harmon and Jeff Raedle, co-principals of Global Golf Management from its inception in 1989, both becoming vice presidents of golf events for Sportfive.
The duo will report to Steve Loy, the agency’s president of global golf, and will lead its golf events division in the US, overseeing the various events that it manages on the top-tier PGA Tour.
Global Golf Management is currently event manager for the Barbasol Championship and the Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour, as well as for other events on various second-tier tours, and has previously played a role in organising golf events at the Olympic Games.
Sportfive has identified golf as its next major growth market since the start of the year, placing the sport alongside the key strategic pillars for its business, and aims to expand its interests in all areas, including player representation, event management, and also developing new business opportunities with rights holders and brands.
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By GlobalDataStefan Felsing, Sportfive’s chief executive, has said: “Golf is one of our global growth initiatives and this acquisition showcases our commitment and enthusiasm to execute our strategy globally.
“We are certain that with Global Golf Management we will further enhance our capabilities and can create even more value.”
Harmon and Raedle added: “Over the last two decades, we have been proud to build Global Golf Management into a leading golf event management company. Sportfive is a dynamic global sports agency with an industry-leading golf practice and we could not be more excited to join the team.”
Sportfive has an impressive roster of clients from among the world’s top golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Keegan Bradley and Brandt Snedeker.
Loy, who joined the agency in 2012, is Mickelson’s agent and long-time business partner.
Aside from player representation, the agency manages The American Express and the Safeway Open events on the 2021 PGA Tour schedule, and in Asia it promotes and manages events including the SMBC Singapore Open, the Australian Open and the BNI Indonesian Masters.
In addition, it has been the co-organiser of The Match series of one-day golf events, in partnership with WarnerMedia, which has featured Mickelson and other sports icons across golf, basketball and American football.
The agency has said that as part of its golf strategy, it is “building off its already strong presence in the US and Asia in golf player representation and event management".
