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Scottsdale man sponsoring local 23-year-old golf pro

BY DREW SCHOTT Progress Staff Writer

As Registered Principal at Kendrick Wealth Management, Noah Kendrick manages operations and compliance for the Cave Creek-based �irm, advising clients with customized wealth management strategies. But Kendrick also supports local businesses and nonpro�it organizations in his community. His efforts include membership on the executive board of the Foothills Community Foundation and sponsorship of the Employee of the Month program at the Cave Creek Uni�ied School District. They also involve supporting the career of an aspiring golfer aiming for a spot on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour. In early 2021, Kendrick met Nishtha Madan, an instructor at Discover Golf at Desert Mountain Golf Club who taught Kendrick’s two children. The two soon got out on the nine-hole course, where Madan told Kendrick about her background and experience with the game. “She’s very talented and I could tell she’s not someone that has a backup option,” Kendrick said. “You recognize the drive in someone and she stood out. There’s de�initely a level of commitment that I think probably exceeds maybe the typical golfer or anyone in life that’s pursuing something.” Madan approached Kendrick in May about a partnership, which blossomed into Kendrick Wealth Management becoming her of�icial sponsor. The agreement entails a cash contribution and Madan wearing the Kendrick Wealth Management on her shirt during tour events. Additionally, she will participate in client events held by the �irm, including some this fall. In her �irst year as a professional, Madan found success on the Symetra Tour — the developmental golf tour of the LPGA. She claimed �ive victories and won two legs of the 2020 Cactus Tour. Yet the schedule is demanding. There are times where Madan enters into competitions very close to their start date, leading her to �ly to locations such as Michigan and New York the day before a tournament. Thanks to the support of Kendrick Wealth Management, Madan does not have to worry about the planning and costs of journeys to courses across the country. “It’s just one less thing for me to be concerned about and worry about when I know that I have someone backing me,” Madan said. “That’s really the whole purpose of setting up the sponsorship. I have a team and a support system that allows me to just focus on golf. My time and energy is completely directed towards that and not towards worrying about other big logistical issues.”

Growing up in Delhi, India, Madan played nearly 10 sports. It represented her family’s athletic passion, as both of her parents played sports in college and high school.

At 14, she honed in on golf and went on to play at the highest amateur level of the sport in India. Madan also represented her home nation in international events, experiences that sparked her interest in competing at golf’s highest levels.

In 2016, Madan began her collegiate career at Sacramento State University.

Playing with sister Astha, who graduated during her sophomore year, she appeared in 10 tournaments, earned a Third Team All-Big

Sky nod and averaged 75.55 in 29 rounds, the �ifth lowest single-season average in program history. By the time she left California, she etched her name into the Hornets’ record book, earning three more spots on All-Big Sky teams — including First Team honors in 2018 and 2020 — and earned the third (73.45), fourth (74.20) and eighth (74.61) lowest scoring averages in team history. Three days after graduating with a degree in Psychology, Madan turned pro. “With my graduation and transition to professional golf coinciding with COVID and everything that that brought was quite challenging,” Madan said. “That’s sort of how it brought me to Arizona because there was really nothing going on tour. It was a clean slate for me.”

Madan chose to move to the Grand Canyon State because the weather is nice enough for her to play all-year round, an abundance of golf courses and its status as a national golf hub. To support her hopes of making the LPGA Tour, she joined the staff at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale. One of the individuals she met in her role was Kendrick, who found her story and drive inspiring. As the head of a private boutique �irm, Kendrick knows his company is not Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley, investment companies able to sponsor top-ranked golfers. However, Kendrick Wealth Management can sponsor talented aspiring golfers and support them as their career develops. Kendrick found this opportunity with Madan. He characterized the �irm’s support of her gol�ing career with a quote from legendary college basketball coach John Wooden: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” “We’re only as good as the people we associate with,” Kendrick said. “I was excited to �ind a way to be a part of what she’s after in terms of accomplishing in her golf career and in life. Personally and as a �irm, we’re just very excited to be a part of it and see where it goes.” The next step of Madan’s journey is attending qualifying school in August. By the end of the year, she hopes to receive LPGA status. Earning a spot on the premier women’s golf tour is a goal she has been eying for years. She can’t wait to work towards it with the support of Kendrick and his �irm behind her. “It’s very nice to be able to share that journey with someone else who’s (as) equally invested in you as you are in yourself,” Madan said. “I’m very, very grateful for it.”

Registered Principal at Kendrick Wealth Management, Noah Kendrick, has taken it upon himself to sponsor the endeavors of 23-year-old Scottsdale resident Nishtha Madan on her quest to the LPGA. (Courtesy Proven Media)