OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Ricky Barnes, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, told The Post he’ll decide within a week on a sports agency, ending a recruiting war that rivaled the sneaker companies’ pursuit of LeBron James.
Barnes, who has announced he’ll turn pro after next month’s British Open, said he met with three prospective management firms at Olympia Fields and will make a decision soon.
“Everybody will know in a week,” he said.
Gaylord Sports Management, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Goal Marketing of Manhattan are said to be the finalists to represent Barnes, who is drawing comparisons to a young Arnold Palmer.
Gaylord’s clients include Phil Mickelson, Rich Beem and Mark Calcavecchia, while Goal Marketing’s big name is Jim Furyk, who takes a three-stroke lead into today’s final round.
“He’s a good kid from a great family and he’s going to be a super star,” Andrew Witlieb, executive VP of Goal Marketing, said of Barnes. “He’s got the looks, he’s got the build. He’s got everything you want.”
When Barnes snapped the head of his Titleist driver while on the practice range before the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, it wasn’t long before the broken club became the latest tool in the courting the coveted amateur who made the cut, but shot a 9-over-par 79 yesterday.
According to sources, a representative of Gaylord Sports Management called the Titleist testing center near Carlsbad, Calif., and arranged for two backups to be built to fit Barnes’ specifications. The clubs were then flown by corporate jet to Olympia Fields Thursday night, and Barnes had his old club head reassembled on a new shaft by Friday.
Using a corporate jet to replace a golf club might seem an excessive expense, but the not-so-quiet battle to sign Barnes might be just as competitive as the golf being played at Olympia Fields.
If fixing his club sways Barnes to Gaylord, then it will be well worth the expense. This is the game within the game at the U.S. Open.