Scottie Scheffler and his manager Blake Smith are in agreement when it comes to sponsorships and endorsements, even though the World No. 1 may be missing out on millions off the course. His brilliance on the golf course has seen him earn close to £37.3 million ($50m) in PGA Tour earnings, while his off-course endorsements and sponsorships bring in around £22.37 million ($30m), according to Forbes.
Scheffler's earnings trail McIlroy's
In context, Rory McIlroy, the current World No. 2, brings in around £41 million ($55m) in sponsorships, nearly twice as much as Scheffler. However, the American and his manager are both content with their current arrangement.
Scheffler does not earn money from endorsements from pharmaceutical or healthcare brands, nor does he take any money from drinks brands, automaker or video game deals, according to the Athletic. In addition, he has declined deals with betting companies or prediction markets and was one of the few players to turn down a lucrative approach from the Tomorrow Golf League, when many top players were jumping at the opportunity.
Selective approach to partnerships
When asked why he has turned down so many different opportunities which could have banked him more money, Scheffler said: "It’s not necessarily not wanting to do things. It’s just wanting to do things with the right people. You know, there’s always opportunities out there, but what are the right ones?"
Smith is always there to listen and scrutinise any and all pitches which come his way. He knows exactly how Scheffler would feel about any approach and when he is sure the American would not be interested, he turns them away.
Explaining his thinking behind each decision, in a past interview, Scheffler said: "I don’t take the partnerships lightly. Like I don’t want to just work with people that I don’t enjoy being around. Days like today would be a real pain in the butt if I didn’t enjoy the people that I was with."
Current sponsorship portfolio
Scheffler is involved in many sponsorship deals. Like many golfers, he is partnered with Nike, Rolex and TaylorMade. He has also found room for commercial ventures which interest him, including GolfForever training, sportfishing team Texas Lone Star's Angling Club and many others.
