John Mallinger was competing in the Korn Ferry Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic at TPC Stonebrae on Aug. 3, 2017, when he couldn’t resist checking his phone.
It was the middle of a competitive round, but there it was, a text from the CEO of Travis Mathew confirming that the apparel company he co-founded had been sold to Callaway Golf for the princely sum of $125.5 million. Mallinger read the rest of the message, which said, “Come meet us in Lake Tahoe. We’re going to celebrate!” Without giving it a second thought Mallinger did something he’d never done before: he withdrew on the spot claiming a sore back.
