On the scorecard first: early specialization and the first-mover advantage in international golf competition

Florian Riegler () and Frank Daumann ()
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Florian Riegler: Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Frank Daumann: Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Economics Bulletin, 2026, vol. 46, issue 2, 597 - 603

Abstract: In this paper, we apply the concept of the first-mover advantage to golf to examine whether early specialization, measured by the founding year of national golf associations, is associated with international sporting success. For this purpose, we analyze data collected from the OWGR top 100 for the period 1987-2024, measuring success using both quantitative and qualitative indicators to reflect different priorities of the associations. The analyses were based on a multivariate Poisson random intercept model and a multivariate mixed linear random intercept model. Controlling for macroeconomic control variables as well as the COVID-19 pandemic period, we find significant evidence for a performance pattern consistent with the first-mover advantage concept in international golf competition for both quantitative (p

Keywords: first-mover advantage; specialization; innovation; competition; golf; success in sports (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L8 M2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-30
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