Former Arizona State golf coach Tim Mickelson will represent No. 1 amateur Jon Rahm in the professional ranks, which had been speculated on for weeks.
The news was announced Wednesday by Lagardère, the agency that Mickelson will join. The golf division at Lagardère is headed up by Steve Loy, who coached Arizona State from 1987 to 1992 and also left to become a sports agent when Tim's brother, Phil Mickelson, turned pro. The office is located in Scottsdale, home to Arizona State.
Tim Mickelson resigned as coach two weeks ago, after five seasons at the helm, but did announce at that time what his plans were.
"I never envisioned retiring as a college golf coach," Mickelson said in a statement Wednesday. "Becoming an agent was an exciting and interesting option that always was in the back of my mind. With my background in collegiate golf and knowing the professional world, I thought this was the time to take on a new challenge and transition into a new profession."
Rahm received a special temporary membership to play on the PGA Tour for the rest of the season, given his recent performance in two PGA Tour events. He tied for second at the RBC Canadian Open in July and tied for third at the Quicken Loans National in June. Before that tournament, he signed an endorsement deal with TaylorMade-Adidas.
Rahm, a native of Barrika, Spain, finished his college career with 11 wins, second in school history to Phil Mickelson's 16.
In addition to Mickelson, Lagardère represents many other golfers, including Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, Davis Love III and Angel Cabrera.