Time and time again, the connections made at Mercer University lead to future collaborations and success stories. A recent professional partnership between alumni Tom Abbott and Robert Gibbon is a prime example.
Abbott, a longtime broadcaster for NBC’s GOLF Channel, is serving as a brand ambassador for Scratch Golf Tours, a golf travel company co-founded by Gibbon in 2022 that facilitates curated experiences to Scotland, Ireland, England and other global golf destinations.
“Once you spend some time at Mercer, it stays with you forever,” Gibbon said. “I think about the network of people that I’ve met. They live all over the place, yet we all stay in pretty good contact. Tom and I are a good example of that as well. We find time to connect.”
Both alumni grew up in England, Abbott in London and Gibbon an hour west. Gibbon, who now lives in Roswell, played on the Mercer soccer team, graduated with a finance degree in 2000, served as a graduate assistant soccer coach for two years and completed his Master of Business Administration in 2004.
Abbott, now an Orlando, Florida, resident, came to Mercer on a golf scholarship in 2000 but later turned his full focus to broadcasting through the Managed Academic Path to Success program in the School of Business. He graduated with a media and business degree in 2004 and joined the GOLF Channel the following year.
Abbott and Gibbon became acquainted during their overlapping years at Mercer, but it wasn’t until a few years later in Florida that they became friends. After Abbott moved to Orlando in September 2005 to begin his job at the GOLF Channel, an unfavorable roommate situation left him in dire need of a new place to live.
Abbott called Gibbon, who was already living in the Orlando area, for help and took up residence in his spare room for about six months until his career got rolling.
“So that was kind of when we became firm friends, and we’ve known each other since then. That was good Mercer spirit there, that rescuing,” Abbott said.
Abbott has worked his way up the GOLF Channel ranks since then, and today, he is a regular commentator for events such as the major Ladies Professional Golf Association competitions, the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup, the Solheim Cup, the U.S. Open and the Open. In addition, he has covered golf and biathlon for the Olympics.
Also an avid golfer, Gibbon discovered an untapped market for people wanting to travel to experience the history of golf after planning a few trips to the United Kingdom with his friends. So in 2022, he teamed up with one of his good friends in Scotland and co-founded Scratch Golf Tours. During Mercer’s 2024 Homecoming, Abbott and Gibbon met up for the football game and discussed a professional partnership.
“That’s where we really cemented it, chatting and collaborating about me becoming an ambassador for the company,” Abbott said. “So that was nice to be back on campus and to see the campus changing,” Abbott said. “That connection to Mercer is important, and everything kind of started at Mercer. Robert certainly helped me out a lot when I was first moving to Orlando, and now I’m happy to help him building on the initial success.”
As a trusted voice in golf, Abbott will be an important resource for Scratch Golf Tours, Gibbon said. He will be a face for the brand, along with PGA tour player Aldrich Potgieter, for marketing materials and promotional events. Abbott said he grew up playing golf on many of the courses that are included in the company’s tours, and he hopes the partnership will inspire Mercerians and others to experience the game of golf at these sites.
“I really appreciate his willingness to help here. We’ve been rooting for each other for years to try and succeed in the things that we are doing,” Gibbon said. “Our partnership brings together a shared passion for the game and aims to highlight the cultural and sporting richness of golf’s birthplace.”
