How a Meltdown Created the $200M L.A.B. Golf Putter

From a meltdown at a Monday qualifier to a $200 million private equity deal, the story of L.A.B. Golf is one of the most insane rises in golf equipment history. In this episode, we break down how Bill Presse’s frustration led to the creation of the torque-free “Directed Force” putter, how Sam Hahn took the brand to the next level, and how players like Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, and JJ Spaun helped launch L.A.B. into mainstream golf stardom.

Plus, we cover the 64-foot bomb that changed everything at the 2025 U.S. Open, the YouTube bump from Rick Shiels, and the surprising brands now connected through the same parent company—including Peloton, PF Chang’s, and even Build-A-Bear.

Watch now to find out how a weird-looking putter turned into golf’s latest goldmine.

All of the chatter in the world of golf, in my opinion, has been around lab golf, the lab golf putter, the flying putting UFO. And we find out that some big old private equity firm comes swooping in and hands the gang $200 million for a majority stake in the Lab Golf Company. 200 million bucks. That’s pretty big time. I mean, for being what do they have like five products? I mean, they’re not in like the iron game and wedges and making balls and all this stuff. Like, they make I think like four or five models of putters and that’s about it. I mean, of course, you can get different shafts, different lengths, all that, yada yada. But at the end of the day, they’ve got like four or five products. But the wild part is how quick that they rose from sort of concept into private equity sale. I find that quite interesting. So, let’s run through the backstory real quick here. 2011, Bill Press has a meltdown during a Monday qualifier. Questions if balance uh a face balance putters are actually balanced. He invents something called the revealer. And I don’t know if you guys have ever seen this thing, but it’s a thing where they put the putter in it and then you hold these two handles and as you take a putting stroke, it shows if the putter spins. And that was like a big a big part of of the lab golf marketing over the last few years. But he invents that device first. You put your putter in it and it sort of cradles it in a way where you can hold on to these side handles and as you take a putting stroke, you see the thing just flopping and spinning around to figure out where the balance is. If it’s, you know, a toe hang or heel hang or whatever. Um, shortly after that, he builds the first torque-free design and launches the directed force putters. They look strange, clearly look just kind of like that thing right about there. Flying UFO. Uh, so he builds one of these bad boys and puts it out. Now, this putter barely getting any attention. It’s kind of like floating around like in the the sort of underbowls of the internet and the golf community. 2018, a guy named Sam Han, he’s a former music venue owner and lifelong tinkerer, discovers the putter online and it fixes his stroke instantly. Han tracks down the struggling directed force company and partners with the founder press. Um he acquires the assets and rebrands it as lab lie angle balance. Anybody know that’s what it stood for? Nope. Lie angle balance. That’s what Lab golf is. He moves the operations to Creswell, Oregon. What a great state. breakthrough moment just a year later. 2019, Adam Scott puts the directed force 2.1 in play at the Masters. Talk about a big moment. This guy goes from being angry at a Monday qualifier, figuring out that the balance of these putters doesn’t make sense, makes this crazy whack job looking putter. Other guy comes along, gives a little boost, moves him to Oregon, and next thing you know, a year later, Adam Scott’s dragging this thing out into the Masters, raises eyebrows despite the spaceship look, and boy does it have one. 2020 YouTube bump. Rick Shields and Peter Finch give glowing reviews. Sales triple overnight. Here’s the real question. Tripping your sales is insane, but what were they? You know what I mean? It’s easy to triple like three. And also at that time in 2020, I mean, Good was just kind of like still up and moving. Like Rick Shields was like the only he was the guy. He was the guy. He was the guy. Uh later, shortly after that came the launch of the Mez One and the Mez One Max. Sleeker look, same tech. Um and then they started introducing custom fittings and then that was a big deal. Once they could start getting people fit for the proper club, things really started taking off for them. And the tour adoption explodes with a growing list of users. Of course, uh Adam Scott as we mentioned, then Lucas Glover starts using the Mezwan Max. You got Willuraus, uh Garrick Higgo, all kinds of guys. 2025, Ricky Fowler abandons the Jailbird, goes for the Lab Golf. Grant Horvat signs a partnership in 2025. Also through that time period, we had guys like Phil Mickelson, Carl Schwarzel, uh Jonathan Vegas, all spotted experimenting or gaming the lab putters. And then it starts making its way through the LPGA. You got Hoy Ju Kim and and others all using the lab. And the moment that set it all ablaze was June 2025, JJ Spawn wins the US Open using the lab putter drains the legendary 64 ft putt. And that has been replayed 10.5 million times. He didn’t even have to make it either. He He really didn’t. And that was it. That’s when everybody knew I’ve got to go try this lab. And here, I’m not even kidding. I was just cruising through the PJ tour supertore just last week and I of course got to walk through and check out all the putters and every time I walk over I’ve got to hit the lab. Like I just want to know like am I going to have the light bulb moment? Do I need it? You know, I still haven’t done it yet. Well, in July 2025, majority stake is sold to the Al Catron or Kataron. I’m not sure how you pronounce that one. It is a giant private equity firm. Um, and they are I don’t know if I wrote him down, but I was looking into this firm like they own tons of huge luxury brands. Han the uh the CEO is staying on to continue running the company. Um, but man, what a big day. So, you think this guy starting the stuff in his garage, nobody’s really taking a look at it. Some music venue guy comes along in 2018. Adam Scout takes it to the Masters in 2019. And by 2025, private equity comes in for $200 million. What a payday. What an absolute payday. Insane. Yeah. My favorite part of this story here was the fact that it started with a meltdown after a Monday qualifier. How many inventions do you think came to be because someone was so fed up with another product, they had a meltdown and just invented something new? where he’s like in his garage forging steel and like you know he’s got like his anvil and he’s like hammering this thing. So here’s another really cool part about the whole lab putter thing. Go on. Now every time that you buy them you get a pair of Birkenstocks and a gift card to PF Chens. Wait is that those two companies are also owned by the same private equity firm. Here’s some of the cooler ones that they own. They own Pelaton Equinox Solid Core. So, if you’re in the the fitness and wellness area, um they own some beauty and personal care stuff. Um Kiko Melania, it’s an Italian makeup brand. I don’t know much about that. Another couple of retail experiences that you would know, Build-A-Bear. Oh, okay. All right. Yeah. Um they Outback Steakhouse, PF Chains, um a wellness pet company, Baja Fresh, you know. So, like what a conglomerate. Noodles and Company. Do they own anything else in the golf space or is this their breakout moment of investment here? Golf and sport is lab golf.