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ISM Sports Announces Signing of US Amateur Finalist

The following is a guest contribution from Andrew Harmes, a JD candidate of the Class of 2016 at Osgoode Hall Law School.

ISMISM Sports, the international sports agency led by CEO Andrew Chandler – famously known in golf circles simply by the moniker ‘Chubby’ – has signed Canadian golfer Corey Conners as the agency looks to further establish itself in the North American market.

Conners, the top-ranked Canadian male amateur and 2014 US Amateur finalist, is coming off competing in the World Amateur Team Championships where his four rounds in the 60’s helped Canada to a second place finish. By virtue of his impressive showing at the US Amateur, Conners has earned an exemption into next year’s US Open and a likely invitation to the 2015 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. These major championship exemptions are conditional on Conners retaining amateur status, something he is expected to do, playing in a combination of top-level amateur and tour events before turning professional later in the 2015 season.

In an ISM release, Conners expressed the excitement that comes with joining an international agency boasting a talent division that includes major championship winners such as Darren Clarke and Louis Oosthuizen, as well as rising stars such as Seung-Yul Noh and Peter Uihlein. Conners explained that “the way ISM have nurtured the careers of young golfers and moulded them into winners is very impressive.” ISM also notably oversaw the management of Rory McIlroy’s career as he transitioned into the professional ranks, through to his first major championship victory at the 2011 US Open.

Meanwhile for ISM, the signing can be seen as being representative of a movement to expand the agency’s footprint in North America. Conners is the first Canadian to sign with ISM and is one of only a few players under ISM’s banner that are either native to North America, or compete there full-time on the PGA TOUR or one of its feeder circuits. Chandler commented that ISM is “making great strides in North America and the arrival of Corey is further evidence of that.”

Earlier in 2014 ISM took significant steps in furthering their North American interests when they signed Chesson Hadley, the agency’s first North American born player competing full-time on the PGA TOUR. When the signing was announced Hadley was coming off of a season in which he won the Web.com Tour Championship and finished third on the season long money list. Hadley had an impressive rookie PGA TOUR season under the direction of ISM, winning the Puerto Rico Open and finishing with $1,703,316 in earnings.

Nick Mullen serves as Director of Player Management North America for ISM and is stationed out of Old Palm Golf Club, a private facility in Florida that serves as the North American headquarters for ISM’s leading European-based players.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.