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Marcus Armitage of England looks at an insect by his golf ball in the greenside bunker on the fifth hole on Day Two of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in honour of Gary Player 2026 at Gary Player CC on December 05, 2025.
Casey Wasserman, founder of one of the most influential agencies in global sports, is putting his namesake sports and talent firm up for sale after controversy tied to newly public Epstein-related files came about.
The agency represents elite athletes across golf, basketball, soccer, and the Olympic movement, while also negotiating some of the largest endorsement and marketing deals in professional sports.
With the agency now on the market, the implications stretch far beyond corporate boardrooms, particularly in golf, where Wasserman has assembled one of the deepest client rosters in the game.
The firm was the most winningest sports talent agency on the PGA Tour last year, representing more tournament winners than any competitor. That level of influence makes this development more than a business headline; it’s a storyline that could ripple through the careers of several of golf’s biggest stars.
A Powerhouse Presence in Professional Golf
Wasserman’s golf division has quietly become one of the most influential forces on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. The agency’s roster accounted for 40-plus professional victories across major tours in 2025, highlighting its dominant presence in modern golf.
That success is reflected in its elite client list, which includes Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith, Nelly Korda, Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, and Jason Day, among many others.
Fowler remains one of golf’s most recognizable figures. Korda has become a global LPGA superstar. Hovland and Finau are perennial contenders on the PGA Tour. Smith and Day both own major championship titles and international appeal.
When an agency representing that level of talent enters a transition phase, questions about continuity and stability naturally follow.
“I’m deeply sorry that my past personal mistakes have caused you so much discomfort,” Wasserman said in a memo to the agency’s employees, first reported by the Wall Street Journal. “It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the clients and partners we represent so vigorously and care so deeply about.”
Why Representation Stability Matters in Golf
Professional golfers operate as independent contractors. Agents handle endorsement deals, sponsorship negotiations, marketing campaigns, and long-term brand positioning. That influence can extend beyond contracts, too – including the relationships that help shape a player’s team. As Ludvig Åberg explained in 2024 when discussing how he linked up with his caddie, Joe Skovron, Fowler was “with the same agency… Wasserman,” which created “a natural connection.”
An agency transition involving a potential ownership change can introduce uncertainty at key moments. Players negotiating apparel contracts, equipment renewals, or new sponsorship partnerships may wait for clarity about leadership and structure. Corporate brands, too, tend to value consistency in representation.
Established veterans may be insulated by long-standing relationships. But younger players or those building momentum could be more vulnerable to disruption if negotiations slow during a transition.
High-Profile Departures Add Pressure as Golf World Watches Closely
The uncertainty around Wasserman intensified this week after Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan announced she was cutting ties with the agency, followed shortly by retired U.S. soccer legend Abby Wambach. Indie musicians also voiced criticism, including Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast, who wrote on social media that she did not consent to having her career associated with someone tied to exploitation.
“I know what I know and I am following my gut and values. I will not participate in any business arrangement under his leadership,” Wambach said.
Those departures don’t directly involve Wasserman’s 50+ golf clients, but they add another layer of scrutiny at a sensitive moment. Even if golf representation remains operationally unchanged, optics matter in a sport so closely aligned with corporate partnerships.
Adding further complexity, Wasserman remains chairman of the LA28 organizing committee. This week, LA28’s executive board announced it would continue standing by Wasserman, stating that his interaction with Jeffery Epstein was limited to a single humanitarian flight more than two decades ago and that email exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell were already publicly known, per NBC News.
In a memo to agency staff, Wasserman also said that Mike Watts will assume day-to-day control of the business while he shifts focus to preparations for the 2028 Olympics.
According to BBC, “Wasserman has not been accused of wrongdoing by any of Epstein’s victims and the appearance of his name in the files does not imply criminal activity of any kind.”
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
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