PGA Tour star reveals ‘free stuff’ top pros get – and the list is pretty amazing

Ever wondered what sort of freebies PGA Tour players get from brands and the like?

Well wonder no more.

Michael Kim is one of the best players to follow on social media. He’s funny, insightful, and more than happy to dish.

In a recent Q&A with followers, he covered a number of topics.

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One of those, for example, was a question about whether or not PGA Tour players can just rock up and play anywhere, such as Augusta National, Cypress Point, or Pebble Beach.

To that, Kim replied: “Quick answer is not really.”

He added: “Many private golf courses I have called the head pro or the director of golf and asked to play or practice and many have said yes.

“For the REALLY exclusive courses, you need to know a member to have a member host you like anywhere else. Just calling the head pro isn’t going to do much. Obviously, if you’re a ‘famous’ tour pro, a member will gladly host you.

“Places like Pebble and Bandon [Dunes] are almost harder to play because their tee times are fully booked with paying golfers. Whereas Augusta or Cypress, if a member is willing and available, it’s not a problem.

“Through golf and many pro-ams, I’ve gotten to know people that are members at those exclusive clubs and many have given an open invitation although I’ve rarely asked to be hosted because I don’t take golf trips.”

And that led nicely into chat about the perks of being a tour star.

Many of you asked what kind of free stuff we get access to so here’s a small breakdown:

Golf clubs: If you play it during the tournament, it’s almost unlimited. If you’re a free agent, you can test whatever you want and mostly get anything you need. A new driver for 5 weeks in a…

— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) August 17, 2024

“Many of you asked what kind of free stuff we get access to,” Kim explained. “So here’s a small breakdown…”

“Golf clubs: If you play it during the tournament, it’s almost unlimited. If you’re a free agent, you can test whatever you want and mostly get anything you need. A new driver for five weeks in a row? Probably OK but most don’t since it’s likely not going to be good for your scores. Putters? I’m sure at a certain point they’ll say no, especially if it’s a limited quantity, but most companies are very willing to give you stuff as long as you’re serious about using them during the tournament.

“Free clubs sounds super cool and at first you’re a kid in a toy store, but at a certain point you get really numb to it all. The coolest putters and shafts all just blend in and, at the end of the day, they are just equipment to do my job the best that I can. I used to freak out about [Scotty Cameron] Circle Ts and what not but as soon as I got free access, it wasn’t nearly as cool.

“Golf balls: Titleist gives me three dozen every tournament week, and during practice weeks I ask them to send a shipment of balls and usually comes with six-to-ten dozen boxes. That’ll last me for a while. I’ve never had them say no for some extra golf balls but I never ask for more than I need.

“Travel: United Airlines, Omni hotels [and] Avis car rentals are PGA Tour partners so we get decent status on those, but some are more useful than others. I don’t know the last time I flew United since I live in Dallas. Other discounts include: FedEx, Bridgestone Tires, BMW, AT&T, Hyperice. They aren’t crazy discounts by any means but definitely is nice if you want any of their products or services.”

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Then things start to get a bit juicier…

“Apparel: it REALLY depends on the company. Some are known to be very tough to deal with and they won’t provide the clothing in a timely manner and sometimes even the sizes are off. Or sometimes the logos are itchy or the wrong size. A player might not get the warm sweaters and stuff until like March when you don’t need it as much. If you have a great partner like Dunning Golf it’s no problem!

“I have plenty of clothes but we don’t get it sent every week and we definitely do laundry every week. We don’t get scripted outfits every week as that’s usually just a major thing. I’ve heard countless stories where guys have signed apparel deals for money but then got out of the deal and just worn free stuff that other companies have sent out because it’s way better quality and reliable.

“Shoes: I have two [pairs of] shoes with me and I’ll switch them out maybe once a month? Maybe every one-and-a-half months? Certain guys like Billy [Horschel] or JT (Justin Thomas) match their shoes to their outfit and there’s a ton of styles and colours you can order. I’m on the side that doesn’t change THAT often so I’ve never heard, you’ve ordered too many in a year.”

We suppose the obvious next question is: what do they do with all that stuff? One for Kim’s next Q&A, no doubt…

Alex Perry is the Associate Editor of bunkered. A journalist for more than 20 years, he has been a golf industry stalwart for the majority of his career and, in a five-year spell at ESPN, covered every sporting event you can think of. He completed his own Grand Slam at the 2023 Masters, having fallen in love with the sport at his hometown club of Okehampton and on the links of nearby Bude & North Cornwall.

Associate Editor