While the NIL landscape mostly is analyzed within college sports, companies are looking to sign rising young stars to name, image, and likeness contracts.

TaylorMade Golf Company recently announced the signings of Lev Grinberg and Louis Klein to NIL deals, snagging two of the best amateur golfers in the world, GolfMagic reports.

Lev Grinberg is a 17-year-old from Ukraine who began his career at the age of five. Grinberg won his first international competition at nine years old, the Cyprus Junior Open, and went on to become the second youngest player to debut at the DP World Tour’s Soudal Open at 14.

His landmark wins include the Waterloo Grand Prix in Belgium, landing him on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), where he currently is No. 107.

He represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup in 2023 and finished T-37 at the Open de France last year. Grinberg was the youngest player to make the cut at the US Men’s Amateur Championships, where he finished 12th in stroke play.

Grinberg spoke with GolfMagic about the notable NIL deal with TaylorMade.

“I’m proud and thrilled to join Team TaylorMade and be a part of a brand that’s always pushing the limits of innovation,” Grinberg said. “Some of my biggest heroes of the game are part of Team TaylorMade, and it’s something I’ve dreamt of from the minute I picked up a golf club. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”

Louis Klein is a younger golfer at the age of 15 who hails from the Czech Republic. Klein splashed on the scene when he was the youngest player to play in the Challenge Tour at 13.

He did so by excelling at the Kaskada Golf Challenge, where he shot two rounds of level par. Klein also began his career at five years old and racked up seven World Amateur Golf Ranking event wins by the time he was 14.

In 2024 he finished Runner-Up at the prestigious Sage Valley Junior Invitational, largely regarded as the best event in junior golf globally.

The Sage Value Junior International is nearly a consensus viewed top event globally in junior golf. Klein was the runner-up in 2024.

He started his 2025 campaign by already securing a victory at the Junior Dubai Desert Classic. He had a record-setting second-round 9-under 63 with six consecutive birdies and finished 15-under-par.

Klein is currently No. 167 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking with a career-best of 166th.

Klein spoke of his appreciation and honor for joining a company with some of the most prestigious golfers worldwide.

“I am very excited and honored to join the Team TaylorMade family, which includes the very best male and female golfers in the world,” Klein said. “TaylorMade is a special top-quality brand in the world of golf, and I am grateful to all the people at TaylorMade that have put their trust in me. I am also appreciative of their personal approach towards me, and I strongly believe that the cooperation with TaylorMade will help me achieve my dreams.”

The two young golfers present an intriguing case of NIL when it comes to non-college athletes and international students. While Grinberg has committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks, Klein is several years away from a college career.

Currently, high schoolers in the United States are eligible to receive NIL deals in certain states. It is prohibited in Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, and West Virginia, with several states having legislation under consideration.

The further compounding factor is international student-athletes. Those on F-1 visas are currently prohibited from NIL deals when residing in the United States at universities.

As Basepath reports, an NIL operations software recently acquired by Teamworks, some avenues exist for international student-athletes, crucially based on their location.

There is no immigration status or applicable laws when an athlete is physically outside of the United States. While there’s a painful lack of federal guidance, the pathway does exist for a limited few to gain NIL deals who are international.

TaylorMade has advantageously recognized this and secured two of the most exceptional young talents in the golf world in a strong deal.