The U.S. Open is arguably the biggest golf tournament of the year; the Super Bowl for many avid golf fans. The first round of this second major tournament of the professional golf season begins this Thursday, June 18th!
Texas bred Masters Tournament winner, Jordan Spieth (source: Reuters)
While many fans will be following the likes of Tim Rosaforte, Brandel Chamblee or any number of known golf reporters from the big outlets like the Golf Channel, Golf Digest or Sports Illustrated to learn the latest updates, there are some lesser-known, but possibly more influential locals who can also provide you with some valuable insights.
Maybe you’re a golf fan looking for more local insights into the tournament. Or maybe you’re one of the lucky golf fans traveling to Washington to watch the Open and you want to play a round yourself while you’re in town, but aren’t able to get onto Chambers Bay– so could use some suggestions on recommended courses. If you want to learn the ins and outs of the Washington golf scene from people who are more local than Rosaforte or Chamblee, then we’ve got you covered.
Along the same lines, many brands who will be marketing to golf fans this week should have their eyes and ears on these local influencers. While well-known golf influencers with tons of followers have their advantages in regards to reach, establishing relationships with a handful of under-the-radar influencers can provide many marketing advantages to brands. For instance, maybe a local sporting goods company is looking to increase market share in Washington during the tournament. Building relationships with these local influencers would be a worthwhile and more affordable marketing endeavor than trying to make headway with mega-influencers.
So without further adieu, here are five local golf influencers to follow or reach out to during the Open.
Shon Crewe – a local ESPN radio personality who hosts a golf show –https://twitter.com/ShonCrewe
Stephanie Wei – based on NYC, but formerly a Seattle resident, a sports freelancer who contributes to a number of sites and has her own site, cleverly named Wei Under Par – https://twitter.com/
Aaron Levine – Q13 Fox Sports Director in Seattle – https://twitter.com/
Jim Moore – co-host of Danny, Dave & Moore on ESPN radio in Seattle –https://twitter.com/cougsgo
Hailee Codiga – a Washington State student majoring in PR and Sports Management who’s serving as a USGA intern during the Open at Chambers Bay – https://twitter.com/hcodiga
We hope you enjoy the tournament, and the chatter on social media! We’ll be rooting for our fellow Texan, Jordan Spieth!