The story behind Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas becoming minority owners of Leeds United

When Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas tee it up at Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the 151st playing of the Open Championship, they will do so having recently acquired the support of thousands of new fans. Indeed, with just a week to go before the showdown in Hoylake, Spieth announced that he and Thomas have joined the 49ers Enterprises investment group that has purchased Leeds United. The American duo can now expect Leeds’ fiercely loyal fanbase to adopt them as their own.

Marching on together at Hoylake

As for the chances of Leeds’ new minority owners winning The Open, the truth is it’s a distinct possibility given that anyone betting on golf will see Spieth at odds of 22/1 while Thomas is at 28/1. Keep in mind that the outright favourite, Rory McIlroy, is at a price of 15/2 so the Americans’ odds are a lot more competitive than you might have first imagined.

Whether either Spieth or Thomas lifts the Claret Jug under Liverpool skies remains to be seen but what is a certainty is that the pair will now make Leeds their second home.

When Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas tee it up at Royal Liverpool Golf Club for the 151st playing of the Open Championship, they will do so having recently acquired the support of thousands of new fans. Indeed, with just a week to go before the showdown in Hoylake, Spieth announced that he and Thomas have joined the 49ers Enterprises investment group that has purchased Leeds United. The American duo can now expect Leeds’ fiercely loyal fanbase to adopt them as their own.

Jordan Spieth confirms he is an investor in Leeds United with Justin Thomas 🔵🟡 pic.twitter.com/fScypiN68N

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 12, 2023

So, how have two of the best golfers of their generation ended up investing in a club that has been recently relegated?

Spieth and Thomas stand by Leeds despite relegation

The answer is that Leeds’ return to the Championship almost scuppered the golfer’s pre-agreed deal to join the 49ers Enterprises group. The reason for this is that a takeover of Leeds had already been finalised with former owner Andrea Radrizanni on the proviso of the Whites being a top-flight team.

The purchase price was initially set at £400 million but relegation to the Championship meant a new valuation of the club had to be reached. After intense discussions, Radrizanni was forced to lower the asking price to £170 million; relegation was a costly event for the Italian businessman.

However, with the Whites losing their coveted Premier League status, a few of the investors previously involved in the purchase got cold feet and pulled out of the group looking to buy the West Yorkshire Club. Interestingly, Rickie Fowler was one of the few who walked away when the club went down.

Spieth and Thomas weren’t as quick to blink and if anything, saw sense in renegotiating a new price. Their rationale is easy to understand given that if Leeds do go up in the next 24 months, they would have made a substantially bigger profit having bought the club for less than half of what it will be worth in the Premier League.

Of course, it goes without saying but any prolonged promotion attempt that involves a number of seasons in the Championship will see the group begin to lose money at an incredibly uncomfortable rate.

After all, the Championship is notorious for draining eye-watering amounts of capital as owners chase the bright lights of England’s top flight. Make no mistake, this is not an investment without jeopardy for Spieth and Thomas. With the stakes relatively high for the minority owners, the question is: do the golfers know anything about football? More than you might think is the answer.

The Leeds salute that now makes sense

It was at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin during late Match that the first hint was dropped that Spieth had the Elland Road club in mind after being pictured doing the Leeds salute next to Matthew Fitzpatrick’s caddie, Billy Foster. It is well-documented that Foster is a passionate Leeds fan but now we know that Spieth wasn’t asked to and had his own reasons for doing it.

US Open winning caddy Billie Foster is turning Jordan Spieth into a #lufc fan. pic.twitter.com/pkNVwHEwqo

— Adam Pope (@apopey) March 22, 2023

Additionally, when quizzed about his investment in Leeds, Spieth spoke confidently about Elland Road, the city, and the club’s history. This all suggests that the pair are coming to the table well-informed and ready to play their part in a promotion push.

Yes, football is a fickle business and no one knows this better than Leeds after spending 16 years outside of the Premier League between 2004 and 2020. However, with two of the world’s best golfers on board who share five major championships between them, the club can now call on a winner’s mentality whenever they need to.