By Fred Altvater
Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) financial arrangements are all the rage in college sports. It has been rumored that a Division I college football program is required to offer $3 million in NIL guarantees to sign a top-notch quarterback out of the transfer portal.
It appears that amateur golfers are becoming attractive partners for large businesses, as well.
In the previous story Miles Russell, a top-ranked 15-year-old amateur golfer from Florida, has signed an NIL Agreement with Transcend Capital Partners. Transcend has similar deals with other amateur golfers, but Russell is the youngest golfer they currently have under contract.
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) and the Amateur Golf Alliance (AGA) has had programs to cover expenses for deserving young amateur golfers for years, but the NIL aspect for amateur golfers is totally new.
In the past the United States Golf Association (USGA) has stripped golfers of their amateur status for accepting financial rewards, or even expensive gifts.
The answer to the question, Should a teenage amateur golfer receive NIL compensation, is simple. It is now legal to do so and if someone wants to shell out money to a talented teenager, it would be irresponsible for a parent not to accept it.
Competing in big-time amateur golf tournaments around the country is an expensive proposition and can be a hardship for many families.
One only hopes that the young men and women that are receiving the NIL funds have families, or trusted advisors to help allocate the monies wisely and provide for future financial security.
