Show Me The Money!

“I’m out here for you. You don’t know what it’s like to be me out here for you. It is an up-at-dawn, pride-swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, okay?” — Jerry Maguire

Mike Visacki did not have an agent holding back camera’s last Monday when he wept into his phone when he qualified for the Valspar Championship. Nor did he have an agent on the phone negotiating his viral video bonus clause with Titleist. That we know of.

“I picked the least scummy guy”

Our source was approached in university after playing well in a National Open.

• Agents started following his rounds
• 3-4 met with him
• He picked the least scummy guy (read that again...this was the decisive factor)
• Sounds like a field we’d thrive in

The selling point for each agent was:

• Their contacts
• How many starts they can secure (or are under the illusion they can)
• How much sponsorship money they can get (or are under the delusion they can)

Some of these young pros sign 5-year deals but start paying out agent’s fees instantly. Even on the development tours (that’s rougher than a sandpaper colonoscopy).

Alternatively, some of these deals are structured, like our smarter than most source from above, where he only starts paying agent’s dues once he makes “The Show”.

If our guy had instead signed a 5-year deal, he would’ve:

• paid a 20% fee for any earned endorsements (even if only playing the development tours)
• paid 20% of all earnings from any start that his agent secured for him (even on the development tours)

Agents aren’t exactly lining the ropes at mini-tour events.

Not good for Mr. Visacki or his brethren. There’s not a lot of money in 20% of a $1,500 winners check (300 bones to be precise). Tough to pocket that $300 (before tax) and expect your guy to have enough fumes in the tank (his car, his belly, and his mind) to roll into the next meat market tournament and perform well.

“I will not rest until I have you holding a Coke.” — Jerry Maguire