Why Jhonattan Vegas is wearing an MLB patch on his shirt at the 2025 PGA Championship
Why Jhonattan Vegas is wearing an MLB patch on his shirt at the 2025 PGA Championship
If you're tuning into the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club this week, two things have immediately stood out.
The amount of mud balls thanks to heavy rains and the PGA of America's controversial decision to ban preferred lies. A giant MLB patch adorning the front of Jhonattan Vegas' shirt every day.
We can't really explain why the PGA of American thought making players hit plugged fairway shots was a good idea this week, but we can shed some light on the MLB logo.
No, Vegas does not moonlight as a professional umpire. He's actually sponsored by MLB! And he's not the only one. Cameron Young also has a deal with the league. Here's how it came about, per Golf.com's Dylan Dethier:
The idea was originally the brainchild of sports agent Dave Parker, who negotiated an MLB deal for his client Shawn Stefani. Stefani got some money out of the deal but also got access to networking opportunities and, more importantly, free tickets to his hometown Houston Astros whenever he wanted.
Malnati remembered the origin of his own deal. 'They put a logo on your bag and shirt. They pay you a little bit for the exposure. You do an event or two for them. Take some clients out to play golf. But most importantly, you've got a ticket connection. I was really intrigued by that,' he said. As a longtime Royals fan, he took full advantage the year after he signed by attending all seven Giants-Royals World Series games that year.
Now that's how you take advantage of a sponsorship. Hopefully Vegas is getting the same treatment.
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