J.J. Spaun sank a miraculous 64-foot putt to win the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, marking his first career major victory. He earned himself a $4.3 million paycheck but the victory may have been even bigger for the maker of his putter, L.A.B. Golf.
In the final round at Oakmont, Spaun made 136 feet of putts over his final seven holes using the company’s DF3 putter to secure his second PGA Tour win. The victory marked the first time that a major championship was won using a L.A.B. putter and it may have changed the trajectory of one of the top up-and-coming businesses in the industry.
L.A.B. Golf Sales Expected To Triple After 2025 U.S. Open
The moment instantly elevated L.A.B. Golf from a niche brand to a household name among golfers and became the spark for a sales surge few could have predicted.
Since then, the popularity of L.A.B. Golf putters has sky-rocketed with annual sales on pace to more than triple in 2025. After selling 130,000 units last year, L.A.B. Golf is projected to sell over 400,000 putters this year.
Marketing analysts believe this kind of exposure is the kind of break brands wait decades for.
In fact, Bob Dorfman, a veteran San Francisco-based sports marketer, called Spaun’s winning putt a “hole-in-one” for L.A.B. Golf. “Awareness will skyrocket, sales will soar, market share will grow dramatically,” Dorfman told Forbes in June. “Hard to put numbers on it, but they’ve got the perfect ad to run with that final putt, and an inspiring endorser in J.J. Spaun.”
Spaun isn’t the only pro golfer using L.A.B.’s equipment either. Adam Scott, Will Zalatoris, Phil Mickelson and Lucas Glover are among the pros who have one of L.A.B. Golf’s putters in their bag. Every tournament, there are about a dozen PGA Tour players using a L.A.B. putter, a number that is expected to rise dramatically over the next few years.
That kind of tour presence, combined with surging consumer demand, caught the attention of major investors. The company was recently recognized by the National Golf Foundation as one of the top 100 businesses in the industry, but it didn’t stop there.
L.A.B. Golf Acquired By PE Firm L Catterton For $200 Million
Before L.A.B., which stands for Lie Angle Balance, turned into one of the hottest startups in golf, founder Bill Presse started the company inside of a trailer and began slinging putters from the trunk of his car. His designs help eliminate torque and make putting easier for both recreational players and some of the top golfers in the world.
Now, LVMH-backed private equity firm L Catterton has acquired L.A.B. for a whopping $200 million.
L Catterton, whose investments have included Birkenstock shoes, Peloton, and more, has no exit in sight, according to CEO Sam Hahn. L.A.B. had reportedly been pursuing a buyer for almost two years but the team wasn’t willing to pull the trigger unless they found the right buyer.
Thanks in large part to J.J. Spaun, that time has finally come.
Despite the acquisition, Hahn is expected to remain with the company and released a statement to assure customers that the quality and innovations that helped grow the brand into one of golf’s most loved startups will continue to be a driving force under new ownership.
“[L Catterton] have given us the freedom to let our imaginations run wild and the resources to make our wildest dreams of what’s possible in putting come true,” said Hahn.
He finished his statement with a promise that he intends to keep, “I totally understand concerns you may have about how things are going to change but you have my word, this is only the beginning and it’s gonna get better.”
