Golf NIL Valuation Rankings: Week 11 Movement
- Golf NIL
- Mar 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 3
March 14, 2025
Money Moves
One to go. After making the cut and finishing T48 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Auburn's Jackson Koivun is just one point away from securing his PGA TOUR card through PGA TOUR University Accelerated.
With back-to-back rounds of even-par 72, the sophomore was T19 going into the weekend, which put him in a solid position to secure the second point he needed with a top-10 finish. Despite coming up short of that mark, he knows he’s close.
"Making the cut, just inching closer and closer, is always good," he said following Friday's round.
Koivun landed four press conference interviews—before, during, and after the tournament. Typically reserved for big names, past winners, contenders, or players with compelling narratives, the opportunities were a clear sign that the PGA TOUR and tournament sponsor were invested in amplifying his presence.
On a sponsor exemption thanks to a vote from his 2024 Arnold Palmer Cup teammates, the 19-year-old donned Palmer Cup and Nike branding throughout the competition. In his previous three TOUR appearances, Koivun sported NIL partner brands Titleist and FootJoy along with the Auburn University logo (worn by choice). Auburn has had a long-standing partnership with Under Armour. Last April, they signed a 10-year deal with Nike that kicks off in July.
College of Charleston senior Kieron van Wyk celebrated a massive week after a T4 finish in his PGA TOUR debut at the Puerto Rico Open, earning a spot in next week’s Valspar Championship. Fresh off his Under Armour NIL partnership announcement, the 23-year-old moves from the Golf NIL College Men's Watchlist to the No. 22 spot in the College Men’s Rankings. Capping it off, Van Wyk broke into the top 100 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, landing at No. 76—his highest position yet.
Shyla Brown has entered the top 10 in the Golf NIL High School Girls Rankings. The LPGA recently showcased the 16-year-old junior in a feature story on their website, which attracts over 2.8 million unique monthly visitors. As one of 11 girls named to the 2025 U.S. Junior National Team's 22-player roster, they not only highlighted Brown as a rising star but also as an inspiration to young golfers of color.
Welcome to the Boards
Lauren Kim joins the Golf NIL College Women's Watchlist after notching two consecutive top-5 finishes at the Moon Golf Invitational and Darius Rucker Intercollegiate. The Texas sophomore, who just received her third invite to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, is claiming a share of the spotlight with the Longhorns’ social media campaign, HerStory, which touts the accomplishments and contributions of female student-athletes at Texas.
