Companies and Brands

If Kevin Kisner Wins The PGA, So Does TaxSlayer.com

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: August 13, 2017 7:08 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 9:10 am

Almost no one who follows professional golf knows Kevin Kisler, who currently leads the PGA, one of the sport’s four major tournaments. If he does win, it will show how obscure sponsors of obscure players can benefit from a long shot.

Kisner’s score after three rounds at the PGA is 206, which puts him in the lead by one shot. It is an impressive position for a player who ranks 127th in driving distance and 136 in puts per hole. That is why some of Kisner’s sponsors can “afford” him in a way they cannot the top tier of players who get millions of dollars each from sponsors

Among Kisner’s sponsors are TaySlayer.com. It is a small company in the online tax preparation business. It operates in the shadow of giants H&R Block and TurboTax. Another of his sponsors is CBC National Bank. The small bank, owned by Coastal Banking Company, does must of its business in Florida. The bank trades on the OTC and has a market cap of $47 million.

Another Kisner sponsor is BSF Group, which only vaguely describes its business as :

We aim to bring entrepreneurial solutions to our clients in a hands-on, practical, considered way. And we deliver with an urgency that reflects the need for fast results, where getting it right matters and people care passionately.

The least well-known of Kinser’s sponsors is Jani-King, a franchise professional cleaning company. And, Kisner has a plane sharing sponsor, third tier operator Wheels Up, which competes with the likes of NetJets

Kisner can also count some of the tour’s biggest sponsors as his own, although they do not pay him much compared to the sport’s leaders. These include golf ball industry leader Titleist, club and ball company Callaway (NYSE: ELY, and Foot Joy.

If Kisner wins the PGA, some little-known sponsors will get lucky.