Golf NIL Movement: Lottie Woad caps Golf NIL No. 1 season with LPGA breakthrough

Jackson Koivun's Tour top 10 builds Golf NIL College Men's No. 1 momentum, Kai Trump strengthens $1.48 million Golf NIL Valuation with equity partnership, Miles Russell extends $500K+ valuation with Tour exposure, Jack Bigham joins Golf NIL College Men's Watchlist

by Shon Crewe

July 18, 2025

Money Moves

Lottie Woad is turning pro next week after closing out one of the most dominant 10-day runs in recent amateur golf history. The Florida State golfer claimed a six-shot win at the KPMG Women's Irish Open—becoming the first amateur to win on the Ladies European Tour since 2021—then followed it with a T3 at the Evian Championship, securing the final two LEAP points she needed: one for making the cut, another for finishing inside the top 25. With 20 points, Woad has officially punched her ticket to the LPGA.

She becomes the first player to earn status through LEAP, the tour's fast-track program launched in 2024. For the world's top-ranked amateur and the first woman from England to win the Mark H. McCormack Medal, it's the kind of finish her resume's been tracking toward. Woad, a two-time First-Team All-American and Augusta National Women's Amateur winner, has led the Golf NIL College Women's Rankings since the start of the season—validated again this week.

Lottie Woad en route to her historic Irish Open win at Carton House Golf Club

Jackson Koivun, WAGR No. 1 and the top-ranked player in the Golf NIL College Men’s Rankings, stepped up again with a T6 at the ISCO Championship in just his seventh PGA Tour start. The Auburn standout posted rounds of 73–66–68–68 to finish five back. Sunday’s final round averaged 1.36 million viewers on CBS, making it one of the five most-watched finishes for a non-signature Tour event this season—delivering a high-visibility moment for Koivun, who debuted his NIL deal with Betterment.

Miles Russell, also in the field, made his third PGA Tour start. He missed the cut by two but moves to No. 4 in the Golf NIL Top 10, maintaining the No. 2 spot in the High School Boys Rankings. With another Tour appearance raising his stock, the 16-year-old Florida State commit continues to validate why his Golf NIL Valuation sits north of $500,000.

Florida's Luke Poulter climbs to No. 9 in the Golf NIL Top 10, with momentum fueled by name recognition, elevated media attention, and a competitive summer that's kept him in the spotlight. He lost in a playoff for qualifying for the U.S. Open in June, then returned to the mix at Royal Cinque Ports in Open Championship qualifying, where he opened with a 67, outplaying most of the 72-man field.

Luke Poulter on the tee at Royal Cinque Ports during Final Qualifying for The 2025 Open Championship

Kai Trump’s latest NIL move only reinforces what our NIL rankings have tracked all along. The Benjamin School standout holds the No. 1 spot in the High School Girls Rankings with a $1.48 million Golf NIL Valuation, fueled by more than seven million combined followers across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and X.

She now adds Accelerator Active Energy to a portfolio that already includes Leaf Trading Cards and TaylorMade. But this deal goes beyond endorsement—Trump joins as both brand ambassador and equity partner, becoming the company’s first golfer and aligning with a roster that includes Travis Kelce and Livvy Dunne. The announcement launched with a hero banner on Accelerator’s site and national placement on Fox News.

Accelerator Active Energy announces its partnership with Kai Trump on the company website

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Welcome to the Boards

Florida State’s Jack Bigham joins the Golf NIL College Men’s Watchlist coming off a bogey-free 137 (-7) at the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship, where he helped England finish first in stroke play qualifying. Add a runner-up finish at the Jones Cup, three top-10s across a busy spring, and a key role on the Seminoles lineup that surged to ninth place at the NCAA Championships and the England squad member looks primed for an even bigger second half of 2025.

Bigham came up three shots short at final qualifying for The Open—but two Golf NIL-ranked players punched their tickets. College Men’s No. 9 Filip Jakubcik (Arizona) and No. 10 Ethan Fang (Cal), are teeing it up at Royal Portrush this week, two of nine amateurs in the field.

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Rankings and analyses published in Golf NIL Movement reflect competitive performance, verified brand partnerships, and public visibility indicators. Insights focus on observable market outcomes rather than internal valuation methodology or scoring criteria.