On the eve of the 2023 Genesis Scottish Open, Jordan Spieth confirmed that he and Justin Thomas are investors in Leeds United, the professional football club based in Leeds, England—”We thought it would be a cool opportunity. It’s a big city, historic club, and great venue in Elland Road, and once we looked into it, we realized it could be really exciting.” We know every investment begins with a passion towards the sport, but Thomas and Spieth were bullied into this investment by famed Tour caddie, Billy Foster.
In a candid chat on One Leeds Fan Channel, Billy, who caddied for Matt Fitzpatrick for 6 years, jokingly revealed how he got both to invest in the English football club. “We got Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas involved now because of… my influence, bullying them. But I’ll tell you what, they’re loving it.” He also added that Spieth and Thomas’s love for Leeds United, which is a club very close to his heart, has grown, and they are extremely invested in the sport and the team’s performance.
“They’re obviously involved in the uh 49ers … uh enterprises, and they’ve invested however much they’ve invested, but they’re obviously a percentage of the club, so they’re really enjoying it. And I’ve taken a couple of Leeds’ shirts out with the names on a couple of Leeds that had stars and stripes on them that were like, “Yeah, they loved it, enjoying it,” Foster added that he even takes a couple of merchandise back for them now and then.
Foster, who has been on the Tour for nearly 42 years caddying for greats like Seve Ballesteros, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke, and Lee Westwood, expressed that the football culture now in America, especially on Tour, has really picked up. “I tell you, I go… I go out there, and they’re telling me more about Leeds, and they’re really up at 7 o’clock in the morning. Obviously, in America, it’s a 12:30 kickoff here, but they’re up at 7 o’clock watching it, like… so they’re loving it, they’re loving it, yeah,” expressing how Spieth and Thomas stay more updated about the team’s performance than Foster himself.
When the two purchased shares of the 49ers Enterprises, the Club owned only a 44% stake of Leeds, and the anticipation of a takeover left them hanging. Leeds United’s performance that year got them relegated from the Premier League to the second-tier Championship next season during the final stages of the deal, but Thomas and Spieth stuck despite the risk. Relegation wasn’t ideal, but we got involved with the 49ers group about purchasing a larger share and getting in with them doing things so successfully as they do everywhere they’ve touched,” Spieth stated at the time.
US golf stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas buy shares in 49ers group set to takeover Leeds https://t.co/CXyz4JwuE7
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) July 12, 2023
While the risk involved initially was high, their investment ultimately paid off when 49ers Group bought Radrizzani’s 56 percent majority stake, valuing the club at $ 221 million at the time. Leeds United ultimately earned its promotion back to the Premier League this year and moved into the top tier of football following a successful season. As per Golf Digest, in April, because of the Premier League’s TV money, promotion from the Championship (the second tier of English football), clubs earned nearly £150 million in their first season back in the top flight. That figure can double should the club manage to survive the challenges of promotion. So, bullying has definitely paid off!
While the connection between the San Francisco 49ers and Leeds United represents a unique cross-sport collaboration, the investments made by Spieth and Thomas into the union showcase how modern athletes are thinking like entrepreneurs and want a seat at the business table. While they have enough earnings from their golfing careers, diversifying their income streams is not uncommon for athletes.
How are today’s athletes diversifying their income streams
The modern athlete has evolved into a full-fledged entrepreneur, investor, and brand builder. For many, a sports career is just the first phase of a much larger financial vision. Athletes are also prone to injuries and slumps, and the inevitable ageing process. This means that they have to rely on sustainable income streams beyond their sporting careers that will outlast their playing days.
We’ve seen Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman branch out into apparel and golf course designs, Tiger Woods enter into a series of savvy business ventures that range from mini-golf establishments to luxury real estate and even a restaurant, and Rory McIlroy invest in various golf and health tech companies and TPG Sports, a private equity investment fund that he launched to focus on the sports industry. He also invested in the Alpine F1 Team.
These stars have set an example for not just earning money but a larger movement of sports professionals reshaping the industry by stepping into new roles as investors and visionaries.
The post Golf Caddie Steals Credit for ‘Bullying’ Justin Thomas & Jordan Spieth Into Making Risky Investment That Later Paid Off appeared first on EssentiallySports.
