IMG golf agent, Jay Danzi, recently retained Ciano & Goldwasser's Phillip Ciano to negotiate Mr. Danzi's Employment Agreement and executive compensation package with Los Angeles-based Wasserman Media Group.  Mr. Danzi will head WMG’s Golf Division in California.  WMG was founded by Casey Wasserman - - grandson of MCA Universal Chairman, Lew Wasserman.  Already a leading entertainment and sports agency, the addition of Danzi to head up the newly-founded Golf Division is a major coup for WMG.

Excerpts from Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal are noted below:

Wasserman Media Group, which has built a major multisport athlete representation firm in the last year, has launched a golf player representation division by hiring Jay Danzi, a young golf agent, away from IMG.

"We hired him with a long-term perspective to build a golf division," said WMG Management President Arn Tellem.  "It is a sport we are committed to being in, in a significant way, and we believe Jay has the smarts, the drive and the other necessary ingredients to be a leader in this field."

Danzi, 31, will hold the title of director of golf.  At IMG, Tellem said, Danzi was head of recruiting.  The first client Danzi ever recruited was Ben Curtis, who won the British Open in 2003.  Others he has been involved in representing include Hunter Mahan.

Tellem would not comment on whether Danzi would bring clients with him.  Many sports management firms require agents to sign noncompete agreements that prohibit them from leaving and taking clients, and IMG historically has been quite successful in enforcing such agreements.  As a practical matter, however, clients tend to want to go with the agent with whom they have a relationship.

WMG, meanwhile, continues to aggressively hire agents and acquire agent businesses, starting with the acquisition of Tellem’s basketball and baseball practice last year.  WMG began by acquiring some veteran agents, such as Tellem and baseball agents Tom Reich and Adam Katz, but in recent weeks has hired younger people, such as action sports agent Circe Wallace, women’s sports agent Dan Levy and now Danzi.

The mix of younger and older agents is intentional, Tellem said.  "We want a blend of experience with young, talented, up-and-coming agents who we think will be future leaders," Tellem said.

Tellem said WMG could have acquired an established golf agency.  "I would rather bet on somebody young, hungry and smart in this area."