Cantlay’s inquisitive skills paying off
It’s the first time Goldman Sachs, which dates to 1869, has been involved in the PGA Tour.
The relationship with Cantlay goes back a couple of years to the Seminole Pro-Member in Florida, which features a field of PGA Tour players most tournaments would love to have. Cantlay says PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan put him in contact with Mark Flaherty, a Seminole member who was on the board at Goldman Sachs.
“He’s a good guy, very smart. We talked a little bit about finances and investments, and he’s been a good sounding board for me for a lot of things, professionally and personally,’’ Cantlay said. “He fills in the picture more than I was thinking.
“If your eyes and ears are open and you’re playing professional golf, you can meet some cool people,” he said. “Not only cool and successful, but somebody you really enjoy spending time with, who can be lifelong friends.”
Marcus launched in the fall of 2016 — Cantlay was four months away from attempting another return from his back injury at that point — and began looking to market itself as Goldman Sachs’ first entry into the consumer business market.
Golf delivers the demographic ideal Marcus by Goldman Sachs wanted. Cantlay became the vehicle.
“We were fortunate enough to meet Patrick, and after meeting him, it was the perfect opportunity to get involved in the sport,” said Dustin Cohn, the head of brand marketing for the Consumer and Investment Management division of Goldman Sachs. “He asked a lot of great questions, being genuinely committed not just to being a paid spokesman, but being a customer. He’s not one to slap a logo on his hat and call it a day.”
Flaherty, meanwhile, was appointed to the PGA Tour board of directors last month.
Those relationships — or the opportunity for them — are everywhere this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The amateur field has its share of celebrities from the world sports and entertainment, along with the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in the country.
As Geoff Ogilvy once said about the corporate involvement at Pebble, “We just entertain. They add to the economy.”
Pebble takes on a special significance to Cantlay for his golf. It was where he returned — this time for good — three years ago from the temporary pain of a stress fracture in his back and the permanent pain of watching his best friend die right in front of him.
Two tournaments into his return, he was runner-up at the Valspar Championship. Cantlay won later that year in 2017 in Las Vegas with a calculated risk and a bold play with a 4-iron in a threeman playoff.
Cantlay won again last year at the Memorial by closing with a 64, the lowest final round by the winner in tournament history.
He was at No. 1,866 in the world ranking when he came back at Pebble three years ago.
He returns this year at No. 7. Cantlay is where he always thought he would be, without knowing the significant life changes along the way.
The player who prefers to ask the questions paused when he had one thrown his way.
Why should someone be a fan of his?
There is a no-nonsense side to Cantlay. He doesn’t fritter away his time on social media.
Cantlay is an old soul at 27, and he has been more than most at any age.
“Everybody has obstacles that come up,” he said. “I’ve overcome some pretty big obstacles. I’m living my dream, doing everything in my power to be the best in the world. Everyone enjoys the pursuit of excellence. I guess that’s the biggest reason.”