Latest news with #AONSwing5
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Miami Matchmaker Helping DTC Golf Brands Break Into Big-Box Retail
Customer at big box retailer takes a look at Golf Daddy's portable simulator. For direct-to-consumer golf brands coveting the expanded reach and visibility provided by big-box shelf space, Miami-based consultant Sam Kornblum serves almost as a fractional VP of Sales—helping convert online momentum into major retail placement at stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, PGA Tour Superstore, and Walmart. Getting a niche golf product into big-box retail can be trickier than holing a 50-foot putt on the quirky greens of Oakmont, where this week's U.S. Open is being held for the 10th time. Legacy players dominate the shelves at golf retail heavyweights leaving smaller brands feeling like they're stuck in an opposite-field event, grinding for a shot at a signature event—the way Gary Woodland did recently via the AON Swing 5. Think of retail distribution consultant CWK (short for 'Consult With K'—as in Kornblum) as a kind of retail rangefinder—helping emerging brands lock in their target number so they can execute their shot, score coveted aisle space and keep it. Kornblum, who has an apparel manufacturing and wholesale distribution background, first teed up the company in 2017 as a side hustle. The gears got turning after a friend who landed a deal on Shark Tank ran into a wall. Despite fifteen minutes of fame and a big-name investor, retail doors didn't part like the Red Sea. That's when they rang up Sam, knowing he understood the process. 'They paid agencies and consultants and they had a shark on their team but they just couldn't crack the code,' Kornblum explained. Two weeks later he delivered a 2,500 door order and realized that the service he just provided was pretty valuable. 'The irony behind that is they wrote me a commission check and I didn't even have an LLC open—this was me helping a friend in good faith. I actually lost that check and never cashed it. But that's how it started.' Since, CWK has repeated that placement feat dozens of times, emerging as a go-to matchmaker linking niche golf brands with major retailers. The company has helped products like Grooveit, Golf Daddy and Caddie Uniform make the transition from direct-to-consumer curiosities to retail staples. Five years ago, Grooveit, a maker of club cleaning brushes, including the MiniG, were going into the world of wholesale pretty much company had built a direct-to-consumer following but wasn't familiar with the intricacies of pitching national chains, so needed hand holding so they didn't come off as rookies. 'When we were faced with big box retailers wanting our products initially, it was a world we were unfamiliar with,' Nicholas Laffin, Grooveit's director of sales explained. 'Partnering with Sam to be our liaison and guide our company through those initial meetings was critical to ensure a smooth rollout with the buyers. If you get a shot with a major retailer, you do not want to be a fish out of water and make any mistakes to jeopardize a huge opportunity for growth,' he added. The guidance has paid off. They've created a seven-figure annual retail business with their products that are now in the aisles of Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, PGA Tour Superstore, and 3000 Walmarts. 'We've been able to expand our product line with new SKUs, colors, and NCAA licenses, none of which would have been possible without Sam's expertise and CWK's deep understanding of what it takes to win in retail,' added the company's founder and CEO Clint Sanderson. The Grooveit brush and the Mini G "You can get a test order, but that means nothing if you don't follow through and execute... If you drop the ball, Dick's is going to say we tried it, didn't work. And now you're out." CWK doesn't just open doors—it helps brands stay in the room. Kornblum has become a trusted curator for major retailers who now take regular meetings with him, asking what's worth paying attention to. 'The PGA Superstore guys didn't even walk the PGA Show,' he says. 'I said, 'Hey, how was the show?' He goes, 'You tell me—what do you got?'' That credibility only works if he maintains his gatekeeper status. 'When people are vetting us, we are vetting them,' Kornblum says. 'If I go get them a large order and they fumble it, that impedes on our reputation and relationship.' And getting a product into stores is just the beginning. 'You can get a product on a shelf, but maybe it's just on the bottom shelf. Maybe it's in the back collecting dust. We ensure that if we put a product in stores, we're visiting and traveling to stores checking on inventory. We're not setting it and forgetting it.' Another brand that benefited from CWK's approach is Golf Daddy, which makes a portable golf simulator built around a swing mat—so no flying ball—facilitating rec-room play in front of a T.V., provided there's enough clearance to let a driver rip without taking a divot out of the ceiling. 'CWK has been instrumental in establishing and expanding our retail presence, which continues to grow year after year. We highly recommend their services to any brand looking to break into or scale within the retail space,' CEO and founder Daniel Puumalainen who tapped the company to be their wholesale support company. Since partnering with CWK, Caddie Daddy's retail business has also risen to over seven figures annually. As Kornblum continues to grow CWK, the goal is simple: help founders of disruptive businesses solve the challenge of getting onto shelves of national retailers and then keep tabs on those relationships. He provides direction on everything from refining packaging, boosting sell-through rates and increasing SKU counts to seasonal timing. He's providing the map to get product in stores and the compass to navigate the shifting winds of retail.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Field Takes Surprising Hit, PGA Tour Star Withdraws
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. World No. 91 Keith Mitchell announced his withdrawal from the 2025 CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Monday. He is one of seven withdrawals prior to the start of the tournament. Despite the flurry of withdrawals, Mitchell's decision caught the attention of PGA Tour Live and Sirius XM journalist Jeff Eisenband. The thing is, the 33-year-old could have secured his spot in the field for the Truist Championship, the sixth Signature Event of the season, with a good performance at TPC Craig Ranch. "Keith Mitchell is currently tied for 5th in the AON Swing 5 (would qualify for the Truist Championship Signature Event in 2 weeks)," Eisenband wrote on X. "This WD means he's going to get passed. Makes me assume, if he's healthy, he'll be a sponsor exemption at Philly Cricket Club." Trying to wrap my head around this one. Keith Mitchell is 5th in AON Swing 5 right now (would get into Truist Championship signature event in 2 weeks). This WD means he's going to get passed. Makes me assume, if he's healthy, he'll be a sponsor exemption at Philly Cricket Club. — Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) April 28, 2025 The AON Swing 5 is one of the methods used to qualify for PGA Tour Signature Events. This system awards a spot in the field for these tournaments to the five players, not otherwise exempt, who have earned the most FedEx Cup points between one Signature Event and the next. The Truist Championship has not yet released its list of sponsor exemptions. Mitchell has played in the CJ Cup Byron Nelson five times. He has always made the cut and has a third-place finish in 2018 as his best result. He has played in 11 events this season with only one missed cut. He has only one top-10 finish, but that was a tie for second at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Keith Mitchell of the United States plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship 2025 at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course on April 20, 2025... Keith Mitchell of the United States plays his shot from the sixth tee during the final round of the Corales Puntacana Championship 2025 at Puntacana Resort & Club, Corales Golf Course on April 20, 2025 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. MoreAs for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the tournament's field will feature only one player ranked in the world's top 10, but it is none other than World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. The fact that he faces a relatively weak field could lead one to believe that Scheffler is hoping to fish in calm waters and return to the winner's circle he has been missing since last August, when he won the TOUR Championship. Without discounting that possibility, the truth is that the CJ Cup Byron Nelson is a regular stop on Scheffler's calendar. The two-time Masters winner has played in four of the five editions of the event since he turned pro (late 2018). He adds one more edition, the 2014 one, when he played as an amateur and finished tied for 22nd. The only edition Scheffler missed was 2024, when he had already won four tournaments by the time of the Byron Nelson. More Golf: Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry Crumble at Zurich Classic, Unlikely Heroes Emerge
USA Today
05-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
In another letter to membership, this PGA Tour veteran called out slow play and commitment
In another letter to membership, this PGA Tour veteran called out slow play and commitment Show Caption Hide Caption Rory McIlroy talks about winning at iconic venues like Pebble Beach Rory McIlroy wins AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for 27th win on PGA Tour, doing so at an iconic golf course. Charley Hoffman is the latest PGA Tour player to pen a letter to membership. Hoffman, the 48-year-old who has won four times in his career, sent a letter to PGA Tour players on Sunday night, as GOLF Magazine's Sean Zak shared on social media. Among his notes, Hoffman pointed out the Tour's recent issues with pace of play, how players can work better with broadcast partners and also threw subtle digs at players who aren't playing in only PGA Tour events throughout the year. Hoffman has been on the Player Advisory Council a handful of times and also served on the PGA Tour's Policy Board. Now, he felt as if he needed to speak up, on the heels of Justin Thomas doing the same a couple weeks ago. "We've taken a lot of heat over the past few weeks about slow play. And yeah, it's an issue — for our fans, for us as players — cutting down field sizes will help, but only by a few minutes a day," Hoffman said. "As players, we still need to make a concerted effort to speed up. Pace of play has been a challenge my entire 20 years on Tour, and it was an issue 20 years before that. Golf is a tough game, and when conditions get extreme, it takes time to play it the right way. We all need to take responsibility to be ready when it's our turn to play and having the awareness to realize that we are out of position and speed up even before the rules official shows up. We do it all the time, we just need to be more aware of it!" Pace of play has become a big focal point of the Tour in recent weeks, with even broadcasts calling out the issues. Dottie Pepper did so at the Farmers Insurance Open when the leaders took 3 hours to play their first nine holes in the final round, then Tom Kim was under the microscope Sunday when he took more than a minute to hit an approach shot that proceeded to go out of bounds. Thomas' letter focused on how players can assist in helping broadcast partners by being more receptive to interviews before and during play, which Hoffman agreed with in his memo. Then Hoffman continued, speaking about the AON Swing 5, which is supposed to award spots in signature events to players who have played their way into them by strong finishes in the week between those elevated tournaments. "But like anything new, we need to make sure it's working as intended," Hoffman continued. "This year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, only two players got into the field from this category before the deadline, ad three of the alternates also qualified via AON Swing 5. So in my mind we only got two new unique playing opportunities for our members. As a PAC member, we will be sure to continue monitoring this to make sure these initiatives help the guys they're meant to." His biggest point came last. 'Here's something else to think about; If we truly care about strengthening our Tour, we should be supporting as many PGA Tour events as we can," Hoffman said. "Many of you keep saying you want to play fewer events, yet you still find time for TGL, Race to Dubai, and other non-PGA Tour events, and that's going to continue regardless of field size. 'The best competition happens when the best players go head-to-head in a deep, competitive field — not in small, limited-entry events that leave deserving players on the outside looking in. This Tour was built on open competition, where anyone with the game to compete has a chance to prove it against the best. That's what has made our Tour special for generations, and we need to keep pushing for that.' Hoffman didn't directly call out any players with his last statement, but with 24 PGA Tour players competing on the TGL this year and others also playing in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai events throughout the season, including last month at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, there are many names who could fit into the description. Hoffman's letter finished by saying he wanted players to come together and put on a great show for the fans, giving them the strongest competition and moving the PGA Tour forward in the right direction. "This is our Tour — let's make it stronger together," he closed.
