DraftKings Adds U.S. Open Champ DeChambeau as Golf Boosts Betting Industry
DraftKings will advertise on Bryson DeChambeau’s cap during golf tournaments as part of a larger multi-year partnership with the U.S Open champion.
DeChambeau will become the “face of DraftKings golf,” according to the company. In addition to the on-course advertising, the 27-year-old will appear in marketing events, videos and sweepstakes.
Golf is an important sport for DraftKings, which earlier this year became the official betting operator of the PGA Tour. It is the platform’s fourth most-popular fantasy sport, behind football, basketball and baseball, and the shot-by-shot nature of the game also works well for live betting. The sportsbook’s golf handle has grown tenfold in the past year.
“Golf has been a great sport for us, in both the DFS and sports betting segments,” DraftKings Chief Business Officer Ezra Kucharz said. “This helps amplify the investment we’ve already made in the sport. It’s the natural next step.”
As part of the partnership, DraftKings will appear on DeChambeau’s hat during tournaments, starting with the Masters, which begins next Thursday. Terms of the deal weren’t provided.
DeChambeau is currently sixth in the World Golf Ranking. His length off the tee and his physicist’s approach to the game have set him apart in a sport where elite players often struggle to differentiate themselves to a wider audience. His other partners include Puma, Bentley, Bose and Rolex.
The DraftKings online sportsbook went live in Tennessee over the weekend and is now available in nine U.S. states. The company’s stock price, which soared at the end of the summer, has come back to earth in recent weeks. It closed Friday at $35.40, double the price when it debuted on the NASDAQ in April, but down from a trading high of $64.19 in October.
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