Columbus, Ohio – Sterling Sports Management , LLC (“Sterling”) announced that they have signed an exclusive representation agreement with the 2007 NCAA Division 1 Individual Women’s Golf Champion, Stacy Lewis.
On May 31, Stacy Lewis fittingly capped off her illustrious amateur career at the Old Course at St. Andrews by leading the US Curtis Cup team to a resounding victory. In the process, she became the first person in Curtis Cup history to finish with a 5-0 win-loss record. Upon returning to the United States, Lewis made the decision to turn professional and retained Sterling Sports Management as her agents of record.
Lewis’s road to the top of the amateur and college golf world was not your typical one. Recruited by only a few schools out of high school, Stacy Lewis decided to accept a golf scholarship at Arkansas. But rather than starting to play right away, her back condition (scoliosis) forced her to sit out her first year in a back brace while she recovered from surgery. After getting her back brace removed, Lewis clawed her way back to being able to swing a club again. It was from these roots that Stacy Lewis became the top amateur in the world.
In 2007, Lewis won the NW Arkansas Championship which was recorded as an unofficial LPGA event because it was shortened to one round due to inclement weather. This year, Lewis will try to defend her title officially, as a professional. She will also attempt to earn exempt status on the LPGA Tour for next year by earning enough money in tournaments to which she receives sponsors exemptions to avoid going to Qualifying school in the fall.
Some of Stacy Lewis’s accomplishments:
US Curtis Cup Team Member, 2008
SEC Champion, 2008 & 2005
NCAA Division 1 Individual Women’s Champion, 2007
#1 ranked Amateur women, Golfweek 2008
#2 ranked college player in NCAA for women, Golfweek 2008
Won, LPGA NW Arkansas Championship (unofficial win), 2007
T-5 at LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship (an LPGA major), 2007
4 time NCAA All-American honoree
Won, Women’s Southern Amateur, 2007
Winner of 12 NCAA college tournaments
4 time NGCA All-Scholar team
In explaining her selection of agencies, Lewis stated, “I thought about this very hard and researched it thoroughly. I know that Sterling represents some of the top golfers on the LPGA tour including two of the top 5 on this year’s money list. That experience was important to me and my family. But, more than anything, I was impressed by the way they made an effort to get to know who I really am. I am confident that in Sterling, I have found the perfect fit for me.”
Jeff Chilcoat, the President of Sterling Sports Management, stated, “We are delighted to have the opportunity to manage the career of the world’s top female amateur golfer. Stacy is someone who exudes character and integrity, and combined with her considerable talent, we believe she can become the number one player in the world. We are privileged to have earned the confidence of Stacy and her family and we feel that this further solidifies Sterling’s status as one of the top athlete management firms in golf.
J.S. Kang, Sterling’s Vice President, added, “It has been a genuine pleasure getting to know Stacy and her family. She is the consummate competitor who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring out the very best in herself. Her battle to overcome scoliosis, which she still wages every day, is truly inspiring. It will be a joy to share the wonderful brand, that is Stacy Lewis, with a worldwide golf audience.”
About Sterling Sports Management
Sterling Sports Management is a leading full-service sports management company based in Columbus, Ohio that represents professional golfers including many of the LPGA Tour’s biggest stars. Sterling’s golf clients come from 7 countries and 4 continents and have won more than 50 professional golf tournaments. Sterling Sports represents its athlete clients in contract negotiations, endorsement agreements, media arrangements, marketing, celebrity appearances, public relations, and tax planning. Sterling also represents corporations through its Sports Marketing Consultancy practice which assists corporations get the most out of their investment in sports marketing, and facilitates the opening of overseas markets for both its athlete and corporate clients.
Contact:
J.S. Kang
Vice-President
Sterling Sports Management
404.518.2002
jkang@sterlingsm.com
