GAME CHANGERS

Kit Alexander explores how international superstar Niall Horan and his management company Modest Golf are playing a key role in growing the sport and making it more inclusive

- Kit Alexander

Niall Horan has quickly become one of the most influential people in golf. His company, Modest Golf, manages a diverse group of players, runs tournaments and has recently joined forces with The R&A to inspire more young people to play the game. His vision and passion is going to help shape an exciting and buoyant future for our sport.

How it all began

Horan has been a keen golfer his whole life. Through his friendships with tour players, including Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, and while spending time at European Tour events, he realised there was an opportunity to help younger pros at the start of their careers. He teamed up with good friend Mark McDonnell, who has over 16 years of experience in the sports industry, and that dream became a reality in the form of Modest Golf in May 2016.

You might think Horan’s profile and wealth – his 41 million Twitter followers is comfortably more than the world’s top ten golfers combined and he has an estimated net worth of around $70m – would make it easy for him, but the golf industry can be a tough nut to crack.

“It was hard to gain credibility at the start,” Horan admits. “The nos and bumps in the road were a bit harsh. Trying to gain credibility with the players and within the industry itself was tough. But a couple of decisions we made early doors were important – we wanted to be involved with events and wanted young, up-and-coming players before taking on a top-50 player. The roots of the company were good.”