Lottie Woad’s rapid rise has been one of golf’s most compelling stories and standing firmly in her corner is Novellus Finance, a name making its presence felt on leaderboards and in locker rooms alike.
From backing the stars of tomorrow to driving some of the sport’s biggest events, Novellus is doing far more than funding golf, they’re helping shape its future.
Golf News discovers what the company has planned for the game in the years ahead.
Photos: Getty Images
What inspired Novellus Finance to become so actively involved?
At Novellus we have always been very passionate about the game and have built some strong relationships within the sport.
Our brand values align closely with the positive work many of our partners are doing in the game. Supporting emerging talent is a natural way for us to give back and invest in the future of a sport about which we care deeply.
Is golf sponsorship part of a wider brand strategy, or is it more about personal passion within the company?
Whilst it began as a personal passion for our CEO Billy McManus, it has evolved into a key part of Novellus’ longer term brand strategy.
Aligning with people and events that share our values has always been important and as we’ve seen success with the athletes we have backed and the growth of the events, it has become a consistently positive area for continued investment.
How do you decide which tournaments and players to sponsor?
It is still quite a fluid process and often depends on the individual event or athlete. For example, we partnered with Annabel Dimmock after seeing the way she engaged with fans at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
Her father caddied for her that week, and with her winning the event, it felt like a special story we wanted to be part of.
We spend a lot of time talking with people within golf whose opinions we value. Being able to pick the brains of leading players, caddies and key people in the game really helps us to identify some of the most exciting up and coming players and critically, learn about them as people.
When it comes to selecting events, the promoters have played a key role. Forefront has done an excellent job delivering top class events in Ireland with both the Woman’s Irish Open and the Legends Tour tournaments.
Supporting the Rose Ladies Series was an easy decision for us because we have long been admirers of what Kate and Justin Rose have done for Women’s golf and again, the organisation and professionalism of the tour, made our involvement a very natural fit.
We think providing pathways into the professional game and also providing playing opportunities on high quality courses with meaningful prize funds is critical to developing the next generation of golfers.
ANNABEL DIMMOCK CELEBRATES HER 2024 KPMG IRISH OPEN VICTORY WITH HER FATHER
What tangible changes have you seen in the careers of the golfers you sponsor?
We think it’s probably too early in our sponsorship journey to know. We hope that our support goes some way to trying to ease the significant financial burden many golfers face.
The prize money on all of the feeder tours as well as the LET Access and lower rankings on the LET tour highlights just how tough making a living from the game has become.
Novellus’ backing helps these athletes invest into more coaching, technology (e.g. GC Quad or Trackman) or hiring a professional caddie. Ultimately, we want to give them the chance to focus on their performance and potential, rather than whether they can afford to compete at all.
Can you share a story of a player whose journey you’ve been especially proud to support?
At Novellus, we have been lucky to share some great moments with several athletes across tennis and golf, but one story that stands out is still very much ongoing.
We have been supporting Euan Walker for several years now. He’s an impressive young man who has come incredibly close to earning his DP World Tour card, with two fantastic wins on the Challenge Tour (now the HotelPlanner tour), but narrowly missing out overall.
The way he carries himself, continues to represent Novellus and gives everything to the game is something that we are incredibly proud of.
We have a feeling this could be the year he finally breaks through and we’re excited to see what he can achieve at the higher levels of the game.
His journey is a powerful reminder of how tough the game is and how much it means to those who dedicate themselves to it.
EUAN WALKER PROUDLY REPRESENTING NOVELLUS ON TOUR
How do you measure the success of your golf sponsorships beyond simple brand exposure?
We measure success by aligning with individuals who give their all, which not only brings satisfaction to us as a company but also serves as a powerful reminder to our employees.
The perseverance and commitment that these athletes show, despite such frequent setbacks (which of course are common practice in professional sport), sets a wonderful example for everyone at Novellus.
Many of your partnerships are with up-and- coming players, what qualities do you look for in an athlete?
We are spending more time with players and look for key qualities such as resilience, desire and competitiveness. Golf is an incredibly tough game, and you have to love what you do.
The most successful athletes not only relish competing but also embrace the process and progression.
We also value curiosity and willingness to learn. Asking the right questions and seeking the right advice is crucial and the smartest players figure that out early.
Finally, self-belief is essential. It sounds a bit cliched but backing yourself, when it matters most, is what separates the very best!
What do you think are the biggest challenges for young golfers trying to break into the professional ranks today?
The standard today is extremely high. The costs associated with playing professional golf are significant.
These costs exist regardless of the tour you are playing for and prize funds you can compete for. Coach (often coaches for different components of the game), Caddie, Travel, Entry fees, Physio, Physical trainer and psychology.
There’s also an overload of information in the world now with an expectation for instant results, but true success takes time.
Lottie Woad is a great example of this – what looks like an “overnight success” is really the result of 15 years of hard work by her and her support team.
A key challenge is learning to trust the process, to take the advice given and then committing to it for long enough, rather than constantly making changes.
We are strong advocates of trusting the process.
The KPMG Women’s Irish Open, Rose Ladies Series, and Women’s Irish Challenge are all significant events, how does Novellus see its role in helping these grow?
Novellus plays a small supporting role. These events are all driven by passionate, dedicated people and we aim to raise awareness and encourage other businesses to follow our lead by highlighting the positive impact of partnering with high quality tournaments.
We also encourage our Novellus sponsored athletes to compete in the events and, as they achieve greater success, we hope this will help elevate the profile of these fantastic tournaments and tours.
We have seen first hand, how inspiring for the next generation, spending a short amount of time with the players can be.
We try to ensure we are on hand with hats, autograph opportunities with our athletes and some words of encouragement.
We are lucky that the people we support buy into that and have had that from the generations that went before, no more so than in Irish golf where there is a great support network from current and former players advising the next generation as they navigate the professional game.
LOTTIE WOAD CELEBRATES WINNING THE SCOTTISH OPEN ON HER PROFESSIONAL DEBUT
Are there plans to get involved at a junior or grassroots level, perhaps through coaching programs or youth events?
Absolutely. Lottie’s success offers a powerful foundation to inspire and attract more young golfers into the game.
Novellus is committed to creating a legacy by supporting grassroot efforts and actively engaging with clubs, coaches, and governing bodies to explore the best ways to make the most of this truly unique window of opportunity.
Can you reveal any upcoming golf partnerships or initiatives we should watch for?
We are excited about the next phase of growth at the Novellus academy. We also have several other projects in development, which we look forward to updating you on soon!
Does anyone in the Novellus leadership team play golf themselves? If so, any memorable rounds or personal highlights?
Our CEO, Billy McManus, plays regularly, as do many of our senior team. A memorable highlight is when Billy made two “hole in ones”, within two days, although he is quick to remind us that he hasn’t had any before or since!
NOVELLUS’ BILLY MCMANUS (RIGHT) WITH JAMES KINGSTON AT OFX IRISH LEGENDSPic: (Golffile | Phil Inglis)
If you could sponsor any golfer in history, past or present, who would it be and why?
It’s an obvious choice, but it must be Tiger Woods. While many great players have come before and after him, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see anyone who electrifies the sport or has the same level of impact on the game quite in the way Tiger has.
ABOUT NOVELLUS
Novellus is a privately funded alternative lender providing loans secured against real estate in the UK and Ireland.
The Novellus group have a range of business interests, including co-investments in private debt alongside tier 1 private equity businesses, direct investment in real estate and the pending launch of their fund business, focusing on supporting early- stage funds with cornerstone investments into the strategy as well as investment into the underlying GP.
For more information visit novellusfinance.com
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