JACKSON, Miss. — A Duke Blue Devil and a Texas A&M Aggie walk up to a tee box, and, no, it’s not the opening line to a poorly crafted bar joke.
That was the scene at The Country Club of Jackson during the opening session of practice rounds Tuesday ahead of the 2023 Sanderson Farms Championship. Alex Smalley – a 2019 graduate from Duke – and Sam Bennett – who finished his fifth year at Texas A&M in the spring – took the course together to prepare for Mississippi’s annual PGA Tour event.
With the logos of their alma maters stitched on their golf bags, it was a reminder of the college game’s influence on the professional game. It also represented a changed landscape, due to NIL rules, that has given top amateurs incentive to continue playing at the collegiate level.
“For top golfers, it’s been cool,” Bennett told the Clarion Ledger on Tuesday. “The good players are able to take advantage of it and use their name, image and likeness to make some money. It’s been good for growing the game.”
How Sam Bennett’s Masters finish boosted his NIL value
Bennett became a talking point in the sport after finishing as the top amateur in the 2023 Masters. He also topped numerous big-name professionals en route to a T-16 finish. Others to finish in that slot, including 2021 Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama, took home $324,000.
Amateur Sam Bennett of the United States plays a stroke from the No. 14 tee during the continuation of the third round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 9, 2023.
Bennett left with $0 because amateurs don’t earn winnings.
However, changes to NIL rules in recent years allowed Bennett to profit off his performance – thanks in large part to help from an agent.
“I’m sure you’ll see a lot more college athletes getting an NIL representative in school now,” Bennett said.
How PGA Tour is creating pro opportunities for college players
The PGA Tour has implemented other ways to try helping amateurs, such as the creation of PGA Tour University. The program was formed to help athletes make the jump from amateur to professional golf by providing incentives such as status on the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour or PGA Tour Americas.
“What the PGA Tour has done with that is awesome,” Joel Dahmen, a Washington product, said. “… Ludvig (Aberg) just went from playing in college in May to playing the Ryder Cup. I think that’s an awesome deal. Giving guys a couple spots is always a good deal.”
Making jump from college to PGA golf ‘is not cheap’
As is the case for many athletes of nonrevenue sports, not all NIL deals are equal. Some players don’t sign any deals. Some partner with local shops. Others, such as a premier quarterback, reap the benefits of incredibly lucrative opportunities.
Regardless, a chance to earn money for publicity generated in college finally exists – something that wasn’t in play during Smalley’s collegiate career, which overlapped with Zion Williamson’s one season at Duke. Williamson became the top pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
“Obviously, getting a little bit of monetary incentive from all that television time and whatnot would probably be beneficial for someone like that,” Smalley said.
“Professional golf is not cheap (to play),” he added. “When you’re first starting out, I think it’s obviously something you’d want to have a little bit of something in your back pocket starting out because it’s not easy.”
The Sanderson Farms Championship will host, “University Day” on Saturday in which spectators are encouraged to sport their favorite team colors.
However, fans’ best chance to support their favorite schools and athletes may come in one color: Green.
“(NIL) is helping the game,” Bennett said. “It’s helping athletes. It’s good for college.”
