LSU men’s golfer Hayden White fought through seemingly ‘never-ending’ back injuries and personal growth to play the game he loves, which led to him reaping the rewards of NIL deals in his fourth and final season with the Tigers.
White, a 22-year-old senior, discussed his experiences as an LSU golfer as well as the changing landscape of college athletics with the relatively new allowance of student-athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness.
White plans for this season to be his last and he took advantage of that with NIL deal agreements, in which he promotes products using his social media platforms.
“It’s different,” White said about taking on sponsorships. “It’s nice being able to have a voice and use it instead of being a student athlete who does not receive compensation.”
White recently posted sponsored content on his Instagram showing his sponsorship deals with The Vitamin Shoppe, TIDL Sports and LyftLyfe. He said he partnered with those brands because they matched his interests; he likes protein shakes after working out, and two of the companies that he partnered with supplied him with powders that comply with NCAA and SEC regulations.
White talked about the process of working through an NIL deal as a golfer for LSU. According to him, a company, Atlius Sports Partners, connects athletes to brands and with LSU and educates players on what they can and cannot do for sponsorships. Companies reached out to White and he received compensation to pose with their products in photos.
White also reflected on his entire golf career up to this point. He explained how he grew a love of the game from a young age, as he first recalled hitting the ball with his dad at two years old. He said even at the age of two, he dreamed of going to LSU.
As he grew up, he often practiced in his hometown of Benton in Bossier Parish where he practiced for about 10 hours a day. White said he cultivated a family at the course in Benton and though it closed when he was 14 years old, he looked back at his time there with pride being a stepping stone to his ultimate goal — becoming a LSU Tiger.
“Meeting so many people through golf has been amazing,” White said. “It’s especially nice because my goal when I was younger was to play golf at LSU.”
Once he got to his dream destination, though, adapting did not become any easier. He shouted out the team for having a great environment, but he described his freshman year as everyone scrambling to balance out busy schedules.
“It’s super hard to maintain the balance for school, friends, golf and studying,” White said. “A normal day is working out at 5:30 a.m., class at 8:30 a.m., quick lunch and practice from about 12 to 3 p.m., dinner by the time practice is done and studying for the rest of the night.”
White credited those struggles with helping him and his fellow freshmen at the time bond as everyone tried to balance their lives. Now, he says the team hangs out frequently, and atmosphere feels great.
However, White hit a string of bad luck following his freshman season. Despite a strong start for himself and the team during his sophomore season, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that. Then, during his junior season, his years of constant practice mixed with his self-diagnosed bad posture manifested in a back injury that left him incapable of playing at full capacity.
From a range of treatments such as MRIs and bone scans to stem cell treatments, White tried every treatment possible in order to fix his ailing back issues.
White feels his goal last semester involved getting his body right, which he feels as though he achieved. However, the injury still lingers.
“I still feel the injury when I breathe and I have felt that for over a year now, but hydrodissections helped with that,” White said. “I do not feel it in the golf swing anymore.”
Now, White plans for his senior season to be his last, despite having an extra year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 allowance. He also recognizes that one tournament he plans to participate in, the San Diego Classic in California, may be his last.
“I wanna go out with a bang,” White said. “I hope it’s not my last tournament, but it’s the first tournament in a year and a half where I feel right.”
As White reflected on his collegiate golf career, he stated his many thanks and regrets. He obviously noted the years of bad posture as a regret but said his favorite memory was winning the David Toms Intercollegiate Tournament his sophomore year. He especially loved achieving the lowest score in front of his home crowd.
White expressed gratitude for all the connections he built through golf and he also appreciated being awarded a scholarship that he can leave college without debt. He said that he looks forward to finishing school, but that he does not want to leave golf.
White’s biggest regret, however, seemed to be the flow of time slipping away from him more than anything. He said freshman year felt like it only happened a year ago, and he wishes the experience did not go by so fast. He appreciated the intense competition and strong team on and off the course.
White said he regretted the posture he took when he practiced for his many years within golf. However, do not interpret that as him regretting golf. Hayden White achieved his childhood dream by playing at LSU, and though his journey gave him struggles, he takes pride in every step of it.
“A lot of injuries hindered me, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” White said. “It’s been a dream come true.”
