The Primary Cut…Q School wrap-up

Eighth installment of The Primary Cut – weekly insights from the world of golf player management and other golf-related industry and player news.

1. Q School’s Over

Tour veteran Frank Lickliter II opened the six-day grindfest with consecutive 62’s and never looked back, completing a wire-to-wire victory at Orange County National in Winter Garden, FL and finishing as the medalist at 29-under, four shots better than Brett Rumford of Australia. With the Top 25 positions, including ties, set to earn fully exempt status on the Tour for the 2008 season, twenty-six players ultimately finished 14-under or better, the cutoff for Tour cards. The next number of players closest to fifty earned full-time status on the Nationwide Tour, while the remainder of players earned conditional Nationwide status, whereby their privileges increase or decrease as the season progresses based upon their earnings.

Gaylord Sport Management’s Peter Webb (player manager) and Brian Newton (VP of Golf) were there every step of the way, following eight of their clients who were competing (including Jeremy Anderson and Brendan Steele, whom the blog profiled and interviewed during their week), and also keeping an eye out for possible new ones. Webb, Anderson and Steele were all interviewed following the last round (see below). And although Lickliter (deservedly) stole most of the headlines, the story of the tournament arguably was the comeback of Gaylord’s Todd Demsey. Following a 10-year absence from the Tour, and two surgeries in 2002 and ’03 to remove a brain tumor, the former All-American and Walker Cupper made it back to the big stage with a final round 8-under par 64. After starting the day T31, Demsey birdied the first hole and never looked back, finishing the tournament at 19-under and T8. Congratulations to Todd for his inspired play the final day, but more importantly for his incredible comeback off the course, and back to the PGA Tour.

Click here for quick bios of the other 25 graduates.

2. Interview With The Agent

Q: Walk us through the past few days. Was it more nerve-wracking as a manager/spectator on the last few days, and especially Monday? How did you handle your clients after the last round? Is the toughest part of your job helping a guy deal with the disappointment of being so close but not making it?

Peter: The last few days were very interesting at Q School. We had a handful of clients that were right on the fence going into the last day so it was certainly a little nerve-wracking. However, I was proud of all of our players and I think they all learned something at final stage (especially the younger guys like Matt Every and Brendan Steele). I certainly had some guys that were very disappointed [after the final round] and it is tough helping them deal with their disappointments and frustrations. However, I am confident that they will all be ready to go in 2008.

Q: What’s next? What are some things a manager does for his clients during this “offseason” period?

Peter: During the next few weeks, I will spend a lot of my time finalizing their endorsement deals for 2008 and beyond. I need to make sure that they have their clothes ready, and that the endorsement logos are secured and placed on the shirts before they begin the season. I will also help all of my clients prepare their 2008 schedules.

Q: You said earlier that “conditional status” changes depending on how much a player is earning. Initially, however, what tournaments will Brendan, for example, be eligible to play?

Peter: Because of his number, Brendan will most likely get into 1-3 events of the first 7 events at the beginning of the year. If he makes a cut (which I am confident he will), he will then reshuffle into a higher position and will most likely get into several more events in the next series of 7 tournaments.

Q: What are you general thoughts on the tournament, your clients’ play, guys in the Top 25 and ties (any to watch for?), course setup, etc.

Peter: What [Gaylord client] Todd Demsey did on Monday during the final round was very impressive. Starting the day at 11-under and shooting a 64 took a lot of focus and determination. He is a fantastic player, and even a better person, and we are confident that Todd will have a big year on the PGA Tour in 2008. As far as guys in the Top 25, Dustin Johnson should make an impact next year as a rookie and I expect to see good things from another rookie (Alejandro Canizares) as well. I expect Jeremy Anderson to be a front-runner for Player of the Year on the Nationwide Tour in 2008, and watch out for Nationwide Rookies Steele and Every. Finally, there were some sleepers at final stage this year that we hope to build a relationship with, but I can’t give out those names to our competitors!

3. Interview With The Athlete

Q: Jeremy, you finished T34 and will have fulltime Nationwide status in 2008. Did your strong 66 on Sunday allow you to play a bit more aggressively on Monday in order to crack the Top 25, or were you still cautious about maintaining your position and not falling?

Jeremy: I had nothing to lose. I already had fulltime status for 2008 on the Nationwide Tour because of my finish on the 2007 season money list, so it didn’t matter if I fell at Q School on the last day.

Q: Brendan, from the look of your scorecard in final round (two eagles, two birdies) 1 double, it seems that you left everything on the course. What was your mindset heading into the round, and during the round itself?

Brendan: I was having trouble getting into a rhythm all week so I was really hoping to get off to a good start and try to maintain some momentum for the entire round. I got the good start with the eagle on #2 but followed it with a double bogey on #3. That was kind of how my week had been going but I knew that I really needed to hang in there and move up as much as I could in order to get into as many events as possible next year.

Q: Were you surprised that 14-under was the number [to secure a 2008 PGA Tour card]?

Jeremy: A little bit. I was the first group out on Monday and when I finished I felt like the cut was going to be 13-under and that I was going to miss by just one shot! The course played much more difficult the last day with the wind blowing and the finishing holes (16-18) were playing into a stiff breeze so I was surprised the cut moved to 14-under.

Q: Give us some general thoughts on the entire tournament and your play. How do you feel heading into 2008?

Jeremy: I was frustrated the first four rounds with how I was playing. I just couldn’t seem to get into any kind of groove with my golf swing and was really fighting it. The final two rounds I played really solid. Unfortunately the putter did not come through for me when I needed it the most. Needless to say it was disappointing to not earn my card for next year, but I’ll return to the Nationwide Tour with a great deal of confidence from how I played at the end of 2007. I’m excited about my prospects for 2008!

Brendan: I feel as though my performance at final stage was not as good as I had played at the first two stages. I felt like I was coming in to the event with some good momentum, but I had trouble carrying it over. All in all I would have liked to play the way I know I can, but it isn’t too disappointing seeing as how it was my first trip to final stage.

Q: Is it more disappointing finishing two shots from the mark, versus say six or eight?

Jeremy: All you can ever ask for is a chance. My 66 in the 5th round gave me a chance the last day. Sure it’s easier to look back at missed opportunities when you miss by 1 or 2 shots, but I’d rather have a chance and not get it done than have no chance at all. You can always learn and take a positive from that.

Q: Brendan, as a conditional Nationwide member, how many tournaments do you hope or expect to play, and will you also be playing other events on other Tours?

Brendan: I am hoping that I will play well enough to get into somewhere between 15 and 20 events in the upcoming year. Since I haven’t been out there before I’m not entirely sure what to expect and I’ll just have to play well when I get in and let the rest sort itself out. I have played on the Canadian Tour the past 2 years and I will probably fill in my schedule with a couple of those events when I’m not in the Nationwide field.

Q: Are there any shots that stick out in your mind that you want back?

Jeremy: Not really. I didn’t make any big mistakes during the week. I didn’t make any double bogeys or worse so I can’t really say that there was a single shot that I’d like to have back. I said at the beginning of the week that it would be very important take advantage of the par 5’s and for the most part I did that. Unfortunately I did not birdie any of them the final round, [despite being] in good position to birdie all four, That was disappointing.

Brendan: A few too many unfortunately, but if I had to pick one I would say it was the 17th tee shot on Panther Lake day number 4. I was coming off of a bogey on 16, but had played pretty well all day and was still 1-under. We were put on the clock because our group was behind. The wind was gusty that day and I was stuck between clubs. I rushed my decision because we were on the clock and I plugged it in the front bunker, making double bogey and ruining what had been a fairly solid round.

Q: What kind of contact will you have with your agent until the start of the ’08 season?

Jeremy: We will probably talk almost every single day for the next few weeks while Peter wraps up my deals for 2008.

Brendan: My agent and I are friends away from business so I usually have a fair amount of contact with him. After the final round I talked with him for awhile, discussing possible equipment options for next year. He knows what I like and what I don’t like so he has a good idea of what I will be comfortable with. I will probably have quite a bit of contact with him leading up to the ’08 season, finalizing what equipment I will be playing when the season starts.

Q: Are there any equipment/endorsement changes on the horizon for 2008?

Jeremy: I’m not sure yet. Preliminary talks have just begun, but I hope the companies that I represent will take notice of all the exposure I was able to get them this year! Also, Peter has a nice corporate endorsement lined up for me next year which is great.

Brendan: I not entirely certain of that at the present time. I’m the type of player that likes to test all sorts of different equipment in order to see whats out there and make sure that I have the best set for my game.

4. Tap-Ins

I ran across an article by Golfonline.com’s Chris Rodell on golf-related occupations, including a short bit on what it’s like to be a “player’s agent.”

Player’s Agent

Experience: Any background that bestows the loving sensitivity of a nurse, the ruthlessness of a betrayed mob boss, the discretion of a Swiss banker, the wisdom of a sage, and the shoulders of Atlas upon which giants feel comfortable shedding confidential tears. Legal and/or business training sometimes help, too.

Start-up costs: None, but the sorcery possessed by the good agents is something that cannot be bought.

Perks: Agents for top players are pampered and treated with royal deference because they have the ear of the men and women whose smiling faces sell merchandise (and selling merchandise is what the corporate world of golf is all about).

Pains: Wearing your hard-earned Rolex will become pointless because clients feel free to call anytime of the day or night. (You told them they could.) A five-star resort is poignantly less glamorous when you are missing your daughter’s dance recital. (Your player asked you to be there.) Your earnings are tied to whether or not your pro can overcome the yips. Worst of all, when people at cocktail parties learn what you do, they shout, “Show me the money!” and think they’ve uttered something original and funny.

Income: Agents earn percentages from the deals negotiated for their clients. Top agents represent as many as 40 pros and earn well into seven figures; others, like the players they represent, persevere with much less.

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Concurrent with the piece, Rodell had a nice little mini-interview with Bud Martin of SFX Golf. Martin works out of Pittsburgh, PA and is probably best known as John Daly’s agent. He also represents Jason Day, the young Aussie who tore apart the Nationwide Tour last year and who is one to watch on the PGA Tour in 2008, assuming a wrist injury does not sideline him or unduly hamper his play.

According to Rodell, “Martin learned more than history, his major, while on a golf scholarship at Duke University. He learned his limitations: He realized he would never become rich playing golf. But that didn’t mean his life would not be immeasurably enriched by those who do. Martin, (then 40), and SFX Sports Group represent many of golf’s top pitchmen. His clients count on him to capitalize on their performances and personalities to supplement their income. “Sure, endorsement money is directly related to results on the golf course,” Martin says, “but any pro will tell you it’s easier to make a five-footer on Sunday afternoon when there’s already a big number in the bank.”

Martin downplays his education and business experience (he worked for various sports agencies before signing Daly in 1991) and attributes his success to a chemistry even Nobel scientists couldn’t begin to analyze. “It’s all about the people skills,” he says. “Recruiting, negotiating, developing confidence—those things can’t be taught.” Often a stranger to his Pittsburgh office, Martin is never without his cell phone and other high-tech accessories. He’ll tell you he hasn’t had a day off in 15 years, but his “work” is more like what you dream of doing when your Powerball ticket hits. A twice-divorced father of two, Martin says he’s trying to balance being handsomely paid to bestow fatherly advice to Tour pros with being a dad to his own children. “I’m really very lucky. I can watch my son and still be conducting cell phone deals on behalf of my clients. That’s very satisfying.”

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Charles Howell III struck a deal this week with Bridgestone Golf and is already playing both their balls (B330-S) and clubs (J-36 irons) at this weekend’s Merrilll Lynch Shootout at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Fla. Howell also will wear a Bridgestone glove, with additional signage on the hat, shirt and golf bag. Howell visited Bridgestone’s Covington, Ga., headquarters earlier this week and was apparently happy with what he hit. The deal comes less than a week after Howell was granted an early release from his deal with Callaway Golf, whose clubs Howell had played since he turned professional in 2000, and whose marketing campaign put the Augusta native front and center from the beginning. While Howell struggled early, he enjoyed a mini-resurgence in ’07, earning his second career PGA Tour victory this year while finishing 18th on the Tour’s money list. But according to various sources, Callaway denied Howell’s request to play a Callaway driver model available only in Asia, which miffed Howell and prompted him to seek the an early out.

Howell’s agent, Thomas Parker of South Carolina-based Professional Advisory Group, offered me no other information or explanation on the matter. However, at least from Bridgestone’s point of the view, the ultimate outcome of all this was a coup (Howell was expected to be swooped up by Nike or Ping). Signing Howell adds credibility to the Bridgestone brand, and the wiry youngster joins a stable of PGA Tour players that already includes Stuart Appleby, Fred Couples and Brandt Snedeker. Ranked 37th in the Official World Golf Rankings, Howell becomes the highest ranked Bridgestone staff player, one spot ahead of Appleby.

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Roland Thatcher finished 2nd on the 2007 Nationwide Tour and will thus play the PGA Tour in ’08. Thatcher, who is represented by Career Sports & Entertainment, has perhaps the most unique sponsorship deal in professional golf. In exchange for wearing a logo for the Houston-based Saint Arnold Brewing Company on his shirt sleeves, Thatcher receives a monthly payment…in beer. “It’s a product that I have been using ever since I got out of college,” he says with a laugh. “They get free advertising. I get free beer. No money involved.” No word yet on whether it was Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin who actually negotiated this deal, which gives new meaning to the phrase ‘keep your client happy.’