In the era of prodigious purses and savvy strategic thinking, pro golfers are making it their business to be in business outside of their sport, while show-biz stalwarts and superstar athletes like Steph Curry, Peyton Manning and Andy Roddick are discovering that the smart money is in golf itself. In our Golf & Business package (which you can also find in the Jan/Feb 2022 issue of GOLF Magazine), weâll go inside their wallets.
Part 1: Why Abraham Ancer and Mark Wahlberg teamed up in the tequila business
Part 2: Bubba Watson the businessman is a lot like Bubba the golfer
Part 3: How ascendant attire brand Johnnie-O made a splash on the golf course
Part 4: Why Peyton Manning is making cold calls about this 9-hole golf course
Part 5: Jason Kokrak’s passion is collecting. The payoff is a houseful of liquid gold
***
The fairways are filled with golf-obsessed celebrities and all-star athletes, but none have gone in on the game more thoroughly than Stephen Curry. Hereâs an overview of the pursuits that have turned the Golden State Warrior sharpshooter and two-time league MVP into golfâs most diversified crossover star.
TV Networker
Holey Moley has this been a hit. On top of his role as producer, Curry appears as âresident golf proâ on this loopy mini-golf reality show, which recently re-upped for a fourth season on ABC.
Content Creator
As if his success in televised putt-putt werenât enough, Curryâs production company has a freshly inked deal with NBC/Golf Channel that calls for the NBA champ to have a hand in golf-related content. Curryâs appearance at the 2020 Ryder Cup, conducting on-course interviews with the likes of Michael Jordan, was an early indication of the point guardâs ever-growing broadcast reach.
Clothier
You know youâve really made it on the links when youâve got your own apparel line. Witness Curryâs polos, joggers, jackets, hats and other pieces of sportswear, released in collaboration with Under Armour.
Benefactor
When he isnât dropping dimes to his Golden State teammates, Curry dishes generous assists through charitable initiatives. In addition to funding Howard Universityâs menâs and womenâs golf teams, he gives his time and money to junior golf programs in the Bay Area and beyond, many aimed at serving underprivileged kids.
Competitor
Any celebrity can peg it in a pro-am. Curry plays a game with which most A-listers are unfamiliar, as evidenced by his top-10 finish in the 2021 American Century Championship and two impressive showings in Korn Ferry Tour events.
All-Around Good Guy
Curry does the stuff that doesnât appear on the scorecard, like showing up at junior clinics and hanging with fans along the gallery ropes when the cameras arenât on him. Once, while teeing it up at a private course in San Francisco, he scaled a fence to shoot hoops with kids in a nearby backyard â an emblematic moment for a star of peerless appeal.