Johnny Phillips: Can a couple of golfers get Leeds out of a hole?

If Thomas has time on his hands today and tomorrow, then maybe he could make the trip across country to West Yorkshire and pay a visit to Elland Road. Along with Spieth, he is part of a consortium that has completed the takeover of Leeds United.

The deal brings an end to the colourful period of ownership under Andrea Radrizzani who acquired the club in 2017 and oversaw promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, before much of the good work was undone with some haphazard managerial appointments in the last two seasons, ultimately leading to relegation in May.

49ers Enterprises is the investment arm of NFL team San Francisco 49ers. It is a fascinating consortium model, comprising of around 10 major investors and a whole host of minority investors which includes many elite sportsmen.

Alongside Spieth and Thomas, others with a stake in 49ers Enterprises include former Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps, who holds a record 28 Olympic medals. NBA basketball stars Larry Nance Jr, Russell Westbrook and TJ McConnell also have a stake in 49ers Enterprises.

NHL ice hockey players Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog are involved too, along with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Miles Jack, representing American football.

Some may be silent investors but Spieth has admitted that he is more than just financially motivated in the takeover.

“We were really involved watching pretty much every game this new year,” he said last week. “They ended up getting relegated and then they renegotiated for a price and the deal started almost looking even better and hopefully they get back up [to the Premier League] really soon.”

This is a new ownership model for the Premier League. Will the expertise of these elite sportsmen have any bearing on decision making at Elland Road?

While it is hard to imagine the American sportsmen becoming involved in day-to-day operations, their vast wealth of experience in sport could certainly be utilised going forward. It would be foolish not to at least introduce such successful sports stars to the conversation.

It feels as if Leeds have changed direction this summer and there appears to be optimism now when just a couple of months ago there was real despair in the stands. Radrizzani brought 49ers Enterprises in as a 10 per cent shareholder back in 2018 when the club was in the Championship and actively looking for investment. The US consortium’s stake in Leeds rose to 37 per cent and then to 44 per cent by the end of 2021, with Leeds by then in the Premier League.

49ers Enterprises initially secured an option to buy Leeds in full in January 2024 in a deal that would have valued the club at around £500million. The group was able to negotiate a lower price and agree new buyout terms with Radrizzani following relegation from the Premier League.

The appointment of Daniel Farke as head coach could well turn out to be a shrewd one.

He has two promotions to the Premier League on his CV with Norwich City and he admitted that he needed some convincing to take the job.

This will undoubtedly have involved some due diligence on the personnel he is expected to work with at Elland Road. The muddled thinking of an increasingly desperate and fractured boardroom played its part in Leeds’ demise last season and Farke has gone on record to say he was reassured by the new ownership.

Incoming chairman Paraag Marathe has the chance to start afresh and with the right start to the Championship season he will have the fans on his side. Although he has already made some bolshy comments that are more typical of the previous owner.

“I hate the fact that we didn’t get the chance to stay in the Premier League,” Marathe said. “Everybody tells me that Leeds deserves to be in the Premier League because it is a big club and that is true.

“The Premier League needs Leeds.

“Call it whatever you want. The way we play. The tenacity in which we play. Our history. The Premier League needs us. They know that they need us because we make the league more special.”

That is perhaps for others to say and those quotes could provide some interesting pre-match reading for opposition players next season.

The Championship is a slog and a grind; a marathon designed to test the physical stamina and mental strength of its members.

Leeds will have to earn any promotion that comes their way. It all begins early next month with a Sunday afternoon fixture at home to Cardiff City that will be televised live on Sky Sports and around the world.

There may be some interested observers across the pond.

A few hours later the final round of the Wyndham Championship will begin at Greensboro in North Carolina.

The PGA tour event will almost certainly number Spieth and Thomas among its competitors and their pre-round preparations could well involve taking in the match before heading out to the first tee.

Providing they make the cut, of course.