No. #7: Tour Players as Stock Symbols
Dear Pards,
Spring has sprung. As someone who works in wealth management, it’s hard to ever fully unplug and not think “ROI” during a Friday afternoon round or on the back nine of a Sunday broadcast.
As I watched Scottie struggle to make the cut on the number (again) at The Players, it had me wondering… if SS were a stock, are you buying or selling? And if you had to build a “Mag 7” with the top players in the world, who are you taking?
-Deep Value in Omaha
Dear Deep Value,
Before I begin, in light of Cam Young’s victory on Sunday, I’ll pause at the top and note that the following words are anything but financial advice.
My head is still spinning from all the numbers I threw around in last week’s column. I’ll also admit that most of my “Mag 7” resemble the character of the company more than the nitty-gritty earnings reports. Nor are they necessarily the seven best players in the game.
Here is my pro golf portfolio if every player traded like a stock.
Scottie Scheffler: Microsoft (MSFT)
A blue chip. Best in class for the last five years. An incredible company some are starting to say has lost its way. When asked if he had “found” anything in a presser this week, Scheffler replied, “I think that would imply that I was lost, which was not the case.”
Okay, we don’t have to call it lost. But T22 and T24 the past two weeks are worse than anything he posted since last year’s WM Phoenix Open. That’s a dip in my book.
That said, Scottie’s strokes gained over the past year are a tad flatter than the MSFT price curve over the same period. I’m buying every ounce of “struggling” Scheffler stock my bookie broker will let me.
Bryson DeChambeau: Tesla (TSLA)
If he’s not the closest thing we have to Elon, I don’t know who is. He’d play golf on Mars if they could just make a ball that flies straighter.
Rory McIlroy: Alphabet (GOOG)
Even when he’s not winning, he’s everywhere. Hard to go a day without him being part of the conversation. Even if you’re an Apple guy, you still use Chrome.
Xander Schauffele: Nvidia (NVDA)
Quiet for years, then suddenly essential. Has burst onto the scene with some big wins. Feels like he’s here to stay. The question is whether he can replicate that peak of two majors in a season.
Sahith Theegala: Meta Platforms (META)
Creative. Exciting. Chaotic. Never fully stable and, quite frankly, I’m not sure how good it is. Watching Theegala play golf feels like getting caught in a doom scroll. It feels right in the moment, but you’re not sure how to feel when it’s over.
Jon Rahm: Amazon (AMZN)
Always near the top. A slightly polarizing dominance, especially post-LIV and his latest remarks on the DP World Tour fine fiasco. That said, he’ll show up at Augusta, and we’ll follow him again faster than Prime can ship me a Legion XIII hat.
Cameron Young: Apple (AAPL)
Feels inevitable. Big traits. Smooth. Intuitive. Young made a very hard game look very easy this past weekend at The Players. The speed passes the eye test and holds up anywhere. Young is one breakthrough away from taking over everything.
Because I was once advised to “diversify my investments,” I sprinkled in a few shares of my favorite commodities, along with a couple of other stocks my wife insists we need.
Akshay Bhatia: Bitcoin (BTC)
Broomstick putters feel a lot like the blockchain. I guess they’re legal?
Tommy Fleetwood: Gold (Au)
A hedge against inflation is betting on one of the best-looking ball strikers in the game.
Wife’s Favorites:
Russell Henley: Costco (COST)
Nothing flashy. Just bulk checks every single week. You know what you’re getting.
Jordan Spieth: Disney (DIS)
A roller coaster we all wish would return to Magic Kingdom. It will just never be the same as it was a decade ago.
Ludvig Åberg: Spotify (SPOT)
Yes, a lazy Swedish comp. But something that makes life better because it exists. Ceiling unknown.
Scottie Scheffler (SCSC) to the moon. I’d avoid sending the rest to your clients.
P╞r╠℮P.S. This week’s Postage Stamp is the the infamous double green at Old Town Club, painted by Dave Baysden. If you’d like the digital download, you can grab it here.
