Sports & Icons
The Business of Golf Disruption: Behind the Brand of Bryson DeChambeau with Brett Falkoff
February 17, 2026
00:0000:00
The world of professional sports is no longer just about what happens on the grass; it’s a high-stakes game of branding, negotiation, and market disruption. In this episode, Bill Green sits down with elite sports agent Brett Falkoff to discuss the evolution of the modern golf business and what it takes to manage global icons. Brett shares his journey from a young golfer in Philadelphia to becoming a powerhouse at GSE Worldwide, proving that a relentless "all-in" mindset is the key to outworking the biggest agencies in the world.
Brett shares the incredible story of discovering a young, unranked Bryson DeChambeau and how he strategically helped transition "The Scientist" into a digital powerhouse and Major champion. We also explore the massive ripples caused by the LIV Golf transition, the meticulous process of athlete branding for stars like Lexi Thompson and Sam Burns, and the reality of maintaining a 24/7 career while balancing a young family. From the physics of a golf swing to the boardroom deals that are changing the sport, this conversation uncovers the strategic engine behind golf's biggest names.
Whether you are an aspiring sports professional or a business leader looking to understand how to handle industry-wide disruption, this conversation offers a masterclass in vision and execution. If you want to learn how to identify untapped talent and pivot when your industry changes overnight, this episode is for you.
Episode Resources
Introduction and Guest Welcome
Bill Green: Welcome back to Uncorked, Wine, Business, and Life. I'm your host, Bill Green, and we're coming to you today from our beautiful studios in Delray Beach, Florida.
If you followed my journey from the early days of building businesses, you know I'm obsessed with one thing, and that's the all-in mindset. It's more than just working hard. It's having the vision to see where an industry is going before anyone else does.
Today's guest is a man who lives and breathes that same philosophy at the highest level of professional sports. Brett Falkoff is an elite sports agent and a powerhouse at GSE Worldwide. In a world where the status quo is a safe bet, Brett has consistently doubled down on innovation.
He's the architect behind some of the biggest brand transformations, representing stars like Sam Burns, Kirk Kitayama, and the legendary Lexi Thompson. But perhaps most famously, he is the man navigating the career of the biggest disruptor in golf today, Bryson DeChambeau.
From winning U.S. Opens to navigating the massive shift to LIV Golf and building a YouTube empire, Brett has been the strategic engine behind The Scientist. Brett, we've got a lot to unpack today from the business of sports disruption to how you manage the massive expectations of global icons while keeping your own career and personal life uncorked. Brett Falkoff, welcome to the show.
Brett Falkoff: Bill, thanks for having me. Glad to be here. I appreciate it very much. Good to see you.
Early Life and a Passion for Golf
Bill Green: So, Brett, I know you for a number of years, but I don't know you from the very beginning. The back story that I think I remember is that you were probably in about second grade and you had a golf club in your hand. Talk about when you got hooked on golf. Were you thinking about a green jacket or what were you thinking back then? Penn Charter high school, right?
Brett Falkoff: Absolutely, Penn Charter. I grew up just outside of Philadelphia in Lafayette Hill and always had a passion for the game from a young age. I watched my dad from the other side as he was a righty, and I became a lefty. I actually picked up the golf club for the first time when I was three. I have a young son now, and going through that process is exciting, emulating what my dad did with me when I was young. Early on, I knew I just had a distinct passion for the game because it allowed me to do things that I wanted to do. I was not the biggest team sports guy. I loved playing tennis and quickly got into golf, realizing that I liked to control my own destiny and not necessarily rely on others. I'm very grateful to my dad for introducing me to the game. Golf has provided me an incredible life with my family, and it really started at three years old. It's pretty wild to imagine how something introduced to me so young has become my livelihood. It's as close to the professional manner as I could possibly get.
Bill Green: Right. And if I remember, you and your dad were members of the Ace Club.
Brett Falkoff: We were members of the Ace Club. I was one of the early members back in 2003 when it first opened.
Bill Green: And you met Jim Furyk. He's pretty iconic, right?
Brett Falkoff: Jim's an icon. He is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but I grew up closer to Pittsburgh. I was introduced to Jim back in 2006 when my dad was one of the sponsors of the Exelon Invitational held at the Ace Club. It was held from 2006 through 2010 and I had the opportunity to meet Jim and his agent, Andrew Witlieb. Over a four-year period of time, we built a nice relationship. I had an opportunity to caddy for Jim in that charity event back in 2007. That was a lot of fun and I began to develop relationships with some of the tour pros that I had not otherwise had before. That was my first foray into really getting close to people in the world of professional golf. I'd been around PGA professionals at country clubs, but never around professional golf. I saw what Andrew Witlieb did with Jim and quickly built a relationship. I said being a sports agent sounds like fun, especially being part of something that you're passionate for. It's pretty amazing to think that almost 20 years later, my first introduction to the world of sports business occurred at the Ace Club where I grew up.
Transitioning to Sports Management
Bill Green: Was that the point where you realized you were going to forego going for the green jacket and go for the business suit?
Brett Falkoff: Once I watched the way these guys hit it up close in person, I realized that it was not for me. I was a pretty decent junior player and played against a lot of players that are currently on tour. I quickly realized that my skills were not quite what theirs were. I'm glad I made the right choice. Otherwise, I'm not quite sure I'd be tied to the game at all if I tried to take the professional route. I was very fortunate to spend time around the likes of Rickie Fowler and Bud Cauley growing up, watching these guys play and seeing what talent was really like. It ultimately gave me an eye for talent once I got into this business later in life.
Bill Green: Yeah, and so you go to Rollins College.
Brett Falkoff: Rollins College, yep.
Bill Green: And you come out and go to work for Ryan Howison, who played the best round of golf I ever watched.
Brett Falkoff: Ryan is one of the best putters I've ever seen still to this day.
Bill Green: And you're in the wealth management business. I think I know you were probably bored shitless.
Brett Falkoff: I was bored out of my mind. I was playing a lot of golf from a prospecting standpoint. I enjoyed that part, and my golf game got really good again because I played a lot of golf, but it just wasn't for me. I wasn't a true salesman. I was focused on the insurance part of the business at that time, and I just realized quickly that I didn't have passion for it. If you don't have passion for something that you're doing on a daily basis, it's going to be really hard to wake up each and every day and give it your all. It was a good place to start, and I built some really good relationships, but ultimately I realized that wasn't the career path I wanted to take.
Bill Green: It's kind of interesting. I remember back in my early career, I had taken my company public and I lived 15 minutes from Pine Valley. I started getting invites to Pine Valley because guys wanted my business. That was the really quick lesson that golf can pay major dividends.
Brett Falkoff: There is no doubt about it. I've never had a better business tool in life than golf. It teaches you so much. Where else can you spend four hours with someone where you can learn about their family, their passions, and their line of work? It's very different than sitting in a boardroom or just having lunch. Golf is an incredible business vehicle.
Bill Green: For me, it's always about who I'm playing with. I'm a 26, so I don't really count in this world.
Brett Falkoff: There's nothing wrong with a 26.
Bill Green: I love it. I love going out with my friends and the camaraderie.
Brett Falkoff: That's the idea of the game. If you can have fun and you can build relationships and you have the camaraderie, that's all that matters.
Bill Green: Speaking of relationships, I want to touch on this one because you're so well-known and respected. You've played a lot of golf with Donald Trump. I'm going to ask you this question, and you're probably not going to answer it. Does he cheat?
Brett Falkoff: I've never seen him cheat.
Bill Green: Okay, viewers and listeners, Donald Trump does not cheat in golf.
Brett Falkoff: For 79 years old, the way he hits the ball is extremely impressive. He is really a very good golfer for his age or anyone's age for that matter. At 79, it's extremely impressive to watch.
Bill Green: Fun to play with?
Brett Falkoff: It's a blast. An absolute blast.
Bill Green: But is it because the Secret Service is all over you?
Brett Falkoff: They're all great guys. He's just a pleasure to be around for the time that we get a chance to spend, and I'm honored to have that opportunity. Regardless of whoever the president is, to spend time around someone who is part of that office is a tremendous honor.
Discovering and Recruiting Bryson DeChambeau
Bill Green: You were thinking about what you were doing, and you are one scrappy dude because you get on a plane and you go down to Texas because you hear about this kid playing for SMU. How do you meet Bryson DeChambeau?
Brett Falkoff: The story is interesting. I got into the sports manager business in 2014 from a phone call from Andrew Witlieb. He is the president of GSE Worldwide and has been Jim Furyk's agent for 30 years. He said, "Brett, I'm looking to bring on a young agent and really have them build their own book of business on the firm's dime. We've got a lot of experienced agents. We need someone young who's ready to hustle." I was living down here in Florida after school. I really didn't want to move back to the Northeast. Growing up in Philly, I had enough of the snow. I told him I'm not coming to New York. He said, "Well, you don't have a choice, but let's just come up." I was at Panera Bread in Boca Raton in 2014 when he called me on a Tuesday. I agreed to meet him later that week on a Friday. I got on a plane to New York, met with Andrew, and ultimately walked away with a job. I joined the firm, moved to New York against my wishes at the time, but realized I had an opportunity in sports management. Two weeks into the job, they send me on my way and say, "Go out and recruit. You know what talent looks like." I asked how and who I should talk to. They said, "You'll figure it out." My first event was the 2014 U.S. Amateur at Atlanta Athletic Club. It was the morning of the quarterfinals, and I walked onto the driving range at about 6:45 in the morning. There was one player on the driving range. As I got closer, I saw the placard behind the player, and it said DeChambeau. I had never heard of DeChambeau. I was down there on a mission to go meet Ollie Schniederjans and Denny McCarthy, some of the top-ranked amateurs in the world. I see this kid, DeChambeau, and I start watching him swing. He's wearing this goofy hat. He's got a caddy with him who's got a pull cart. I'm watching him swing and I'm thinking I've never seen anything like that. This one-plane golf swing reminds me of Mo Norman. I was fascinated and mesmerized. I decided I was going to watch this kid play that day. He played a kid from the University of Houston, Roman Robledo, and he kicked Bryson's ass that day. But I saw something I'd never seen before in a young golfer: a unique charisma along with a very homemade golf swing. I said if this kid can figure it out, I'm going to stay on him. I looked him up and he was ranked 57th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. I went back and told the guys in the office there was someone I wanted to follow. They told me I was crazy because of his rank. I said there was something there. I introduced myself to Bryson that day because he wasn't too happy with how he played. Later that night, I friended him on Facebook and wrote him a message that I still have on my phone today. I introduced myself and told him I'm an agent with the Legacy Agency. I told him I didn't want to bother him but hoped to meet him at some point. I never got a response. Two weeks later was his first college tournament of the season at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. I told my guys in New York I was going to watch this kid. They said I was crazy and wasn't spending my time on the right people. Bryson had a scholarship offer from Stanford, but when he switched to the single-length clubs in high school, they pulled the scholarship. He was well-known in California but an unknown outside of that because he didn't travel for AJGA events. I arrived at Erin Hills on Sunday for the practice round. I saw Bryson walking over the hill from the driving range and I went up to him and introduced myself. He said, "Oh, I saw your message. I'm so sorry I didn't respond. You're the first agent that's ever approached me. You look kind of young. How old are you?" I said I was 25. I told him I may look young, but I know plenty. He winning the first tournament of the season. I went back to the office and told them there was something here. That was my start of essentially stalking Bryson DeChambeau for the next 19 months. I was the first one in and I built key relationships with those closest to him. That positioned me for success when it came time for Bryson to choose an agent as he entered professional golf. He had a lot of success after I started following him. He won the NCAA championship in 2015 at the Concession Club followed by the U.S. Amateur at Olympia Fields. Suddenly, all the big agents came out of the woodwork.
Bill Green: All the big agents, right?
Brett Falkoff: Mark Steinberg, Tiger's agent; Jay Danzi, Spieth's agent; Steve Loy, Phil Mickelson's agent. Here I was, a 26-year-old kid with no experience and no clients. Ultimately, his team took a chance on someone who was hungry to go out there and help build his career. We sit here 10 years later building a very unique sports empire for an individual athlete. It's been a ton of fun.
The Evolution of "The Scientist"
Bill Green: He's still a really young guy, right?
Brett Falkoff: He's 31 or 32 years old. He's really not that old. But in terms of golf, he's a veteran now.
Bill Green: Talk about why he's called The Scientist. It's kind of an odd name for a golfer.
Brett Falkoff: Believe it or not, today he doesn't even like to be referred to as The Scientist. He prefers to be referred to as The Entertainer because he feels he's providing great entertainment for the fans on YouTube. He's morphed into almost an actor. He entertains and inspires. Early on, he was branded The Scientist because he did so many things based on physics that people had never seen before in golf. But a few years in, he realized he didn't want to be the nerdy scientist. He wanted to be different in a cool way. He focuses on three keywords: entertain, educate, and inspire. He's definitely moved toward being the entertainer over the past few years.
Wine, Passion, and Saddle Hill Winery
Bill Green: I love watching. I used to not watch golf unless Tiger was playing, and now I'm picking it up. It's must-see TV. I picked up a golf club for the first time in 1995 and quickly learned I was not going to be good at it. In 1996, I started collecting fine wine. Let's step back from golf and talk about wine. I own a winery in New Jersey called Saddle Hill, but let's taste a little wine right now. It's a 2000 Lynch-Bages. It's a Bordeaux wine. I know you're not a big drinker, but every once in a while, you and Amanda will have a little bit of wine. This is an expensive bottle. It's dense and you can see the color. It's got great tannins and it's velvety. I think we've got another 10 years to drink this.
Brett Falkoff: That's amazing. Tell me a little bit about Saddle Hill and your experience so far.
Bill Green: Wine has been a passion of mine. In 2020 during COVID, someone invited me to a horse farm. I hadn't ridden in 35 years. I got on the horse, and 15 minutes later, I told my wife I was buying a horse. I went to Ocala, Florida, and bought a horse. When spring came, we decided we had to bring the horse back to Philly. There was a preserved 70-acre farm two miles from where I grew up. It was not a working farm anymore, so I bought it. I tied my passions for horses, nature, and wine together. People asked how I could think about New Jersey wine when I collect the finest wines in the world. I told them I was going to make the best damn wine you can make in New Jersey. A couple of weeks ago, four of our wines won medals at the San Francisco wine competition. Our wine called The Renegade won best in class. It was the best red blend in the country under $30, winning over Napa and everything. If you buy a $30 bottle of wine in New Jersey, we're going to be the same quality as Napa. We just can't make a $100 bottle yet. But the vast majority of the market is at the lower end. I'm having a blast.
Brett Falkoff: That's great. It's amazing when things come together in life. It's unique.
LIV Golf and Professional Disruption
Bill Green: Speaking of COVID, you have unexpected events, and the big disruption is LIV Golf. Talk about the LIV Golf transition and where you think it stands. Personally, I'm a PGA guy.
Brett Falkoff: I totally understand. Golf was ripe for the picking at the time. My first meeting about LIV Golf was in 2019, though it came into existence in 2022. It's been a positive disruption in the sense that it's pushed the PGA Tour to change and grow. Look at the purses the guys on the PGA Tour are playing for today. Signature events are double what they ever played for before. There are bonus pools that never existed. Everyone went to LIV for a different reason, whether it was family, a business decision, or to travel the world. Those who stayed also benefited from it. The game as a whole was disrupted, which is unfortunate, but the players benefited from a monetary standpoint. There's a lot of uncertainty as to the future of professional golf and whether LIV and the PGA Tour will find a way to come together or continue to operate separately.
Bill Green: I love wearing shorts to play golf, but I don't know about the shorts in competition.
Brett Falkoff: I'm a traditionalist at heart, so shorts at a professional level is a little much for me. But disruption is not always a bad thing. However, the game needs to come back together at some level.
Bill Green: It's competition, and that's great. Everything in the world is competitive. Because of that, you're traveling all over the world.
Brett Falkoff: I was in Saudi Arabia last week for 14 hours. It was a long trip, but it was a necessary meeting. I've got another meeting coming up in Tokyo in a couple of weeks for a day. With two young kids, I try to be home as much as possible. But there are some really big stakes at the present moment in the world of professional golf.
The Challenges of Work-Life Balance
Bill Green: Talk about the kids and the family. Even when you come home, you're probably fried. Amanda's got to be super understanding.
Brett Falkoff: I always say that her job is way more difficult than mine. She's got it tough, but she's also fortunate that she can spend time with the kids. It's hard for me to be away from them, and I want to spend as much time as possible. However, my career is demanding. It's 24/7, 365. Finding that balance is a challenge I continue to strive for. You want to provide for your family and make sure they're comfortable, but I have a job to do. It's tricky.
Bill Green: If you're out with the kids at the playground and the cell phone rings, do you pick it up?
Brett Falkoff: It never stops. My phone is attached to my hip whether it's the middle of the night or a Saturday afternoon. It's the career I chose. There are difficult times where you have to be present with the family, but I have to be there for my clients. That's the client services business.
Bill Green: You're blessed that your family understands. One of my close friends is Leon Rose, who used to be an agent and is now president of the Knicks. I used to ask his wife, Diana, how she did it with him traveling all the time. It takes a toll, but it pays dividends.
Brett Falkoff: We'll have great stories later. Eventually, I hope my son and daughter will be able to travel with me and experience some of the things I get to experience. We'll see.
Representing Elite Icons and Modern Athleticism
Bill Green: Talk about a rising star. You've managed Lexi Thompson since 2020. She was just at my club a few weeks ago. How do you manage a brand like Lexi compared to someone like Sam Burns?
Brett Falkoff: Lexi's fantastic. We've worked together almost six years now. I've known her since 2016 when Bryson turned professional. They were both part of Cobra Puma Golf and played out of the same club at Trump International. During COVID, we started to play a lot of golf together. She decided to make a change in her career and switch agents, and I was fortunate to be the beneficiary of that. She's in a different stage of her career now as she's closer toward the end. Compare that to Sam Burns, whom I've worked with for nine years. He's a fantastic guy and has big things coming. It's different styles of management because people are in different places in their career.
Bill Green: Bryson is in amazing physical condition and Lexi is an amazing specimen. I don't think people realize how much work golfers put into their physical health.
Brett Falkoff: People have no idea. People ask why Bryson or Sam or Lexi aren't playing every week. They think it's just golf, but it's so much more. The fitness routines and the time they spend on their body and mind are so demanding. Tiger Woods changed the sport; you have to be a real athlete to play at the highest level. If you go to the PGA Tour or LIV, you see everything from cold plunges to specialized equipment. These guys are athletes. They aren't slumping around and smoking cigarettes anymore.
Bill Green: So John Daly wouldn't make it today?
Brett Falkoff: John Daly would definitely have some trouble in modern-day professional golf. There's no doubt about it.
Bill Green: I used to laugh and say golf wasn't athletics.
Brett Falkoff: I've heard that forever. But you look at Lexi, Bryson, Rory McIlroy, or Scottie Scheffler. These guys are physical specimens.
Identifying the Next Generation of Talent
Bill Green: When you see someone, how do you know when to go all-in on a player, like you did with Bryson?
Brett Falkoff: I have not really recruited in a while. I have a young guy I work with, Ben James, who is a tremendous talent out of the University of Virginia. He's number one in PGA Tour University and will turn professional in May. Having Bryson, Sam, and Lexi means I have a stable of established talent. The Bryson business continues to grow at a level people haven't seen since Tiger Woods. I grew up playing against some of the best players in the world. I played against Rickie Fowler, Bud Cauley, and even Rory McIlroy back in the day. You know what talent looks like. I remember what my scores looked like compared to theirs. You can tell what talent is. There's a clear separation, and it's very evident.
Celebrating Victories and Closing Remarks
Bill Green: Your players have won a lot. I assume when you win, you don't drink wine?
Brett Falkoff: I'm not a drinker.
Bill Green: But we're going to try this next one. This is The Renegade. This is the one that won best in class in San Francisco. It's soft and light. This was the wine I drank during the Super Bowl. It goes good with pizza and wings. When one of your players gets a big win, how do you celebrate?
Brett Falkoff: I typically call my wife and kids with tears in my eyes because I'm just so happy for them. People ask why I'm so happy when I didn't hit a shot, but it takes a village to put these shows on. When you're a part of a team, it's rewarding when they win. Typically, we go to a really good dinner afterward. After Bryson's two U.S. Open wins, we had some good times and had some nice parties. It's just great to be a part of.
Bill Green: So nothing crazy? The guys don't go to Vegas?
Brett Falkoff: No, my guys aren't big gamblers or big drinkers. They like to enjoy life on a more reserved level.
Bill Green: That's the problem with the wine business today. The younger folks are doing all the right things for their body and mind. Us poor old guys have to drink all this wine. Brett, I've known you for a number of years and this has been fantastic. You've been one of my favorite guests so far on Uncorked.
Brett Falkoff: I appreciate it. It's a pleasure being with you. Thanks for having me on. Congratulations on everything with the wine.
Bill Green: Thank you very much. This is wrapping up from Delray Beach, Florida, Uncorked, Wine, Business, and Life with Brett Falkoff. We'll see you next time.
