Dave Checketts’ private equity fund targets golf and women’s sports

Dave Checketts’ sports investment play is becoming clearer, and it points firmly toward two of the industry’s most attractive growth areas: golf and women’s sport. The Cynosure | Checketts Sports Capital fund is targeting those sectors as part of a broader investment thesis around high-potential sports assets. The US$1.2 billion vehicle was launched with The Cynosure Group and has already invested in Burnley owner ALK Capital, underlining that this is not a theoretical strategy but an active one.

The logic is compelling. Golf is evolving beyond traditional rights and sponsorship models into a broader ecosystem of formats, participation products, fan experiences and premium commercial inventory. Women’s sport, meanwhile, continues to benefit from stronger audiences, improved sponsorship demand and a valuation curve that still offers upside compared with more mature men’s properties. That combination is exactly what sophisticated capital is hunting for: real momentum, scarcity value and room for operational uplift. Checketts’ positioning also reflects a wider industry shift. Investors are no longer just chasing trophy assets at the top end of the market; they are hunting for sectors where culture, media and commercial growth are still converging. In that sense, this is not just a fund strategy. It is another signal that the most forward-looking sports capital is moving earlier, moving smarter, and looking for value where the market still feels underbuilt.