For an organization that has skewed insular, Whans unorthodox background and skill as a communicator came to be seen as a plus. He should have been tired. As the governing body strives to connect with a growing and evolving golf culture, Whans dynamic personality and effective communication skills will be paramount to an organization that has had its fair share of PR struggles in recent years. David Fay and his bow tie. "With the stuff that went down at 9/11, I have a hard time getting involved with them. He didnt particularly care what the search committee thought. Whans impact on the LPGA can be quantified in the schedule (34 tournaments in 2021 compared with 24 when he took over) and prize money (a record $76.5 million this year). A company backed by star golfer Tiger Woods and star singer Justin Timberlake involved in design. Is that something youre going to legislate so that they will be allowed at USGA competitions? As Whan moves into a broader role in golf, his passion for the womens game isnt going anywhere. Is that good?, I think, instead, we want to make sure golf innovation continues. Ive said this many times, but the last time really that the USGA (looked at it), in an attempt to establish a maximum distance with perfect launch conditions, was 1976. But Whan knows that for sports fans who only follow the mens game, this seems remarkable. Whan acknowledged that the distance problem wont be solved in a team meeting in a board room at USGA headquarters. Team England officials have been left scrambling. USGA: New CEO Mike Whan talks distance, money and more - Yahoo! Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 JM Eagle LA Championship. Lets talk distance debate. Lots of grease. . Quick Facts: Mike Whan Wife Age, Salary and Net Worth: Everything About LPGA Commissioner Thats one of the reasons I want the job. As CEO, Whan leads the USGA team and their work to champion and advance the game of golf by conducting global championships, delivering golfer engagement programs, broadening accessibility and driving sustainability. Hell no doubt reveal the rest of that list in one of his many upcoming conference calls with his new staff. However, he is active on LinkedIn which pretty much gives oversight to his career and professional biography. Maybe disappear, spend the . Amateur. He did more than give us a voice; he held the megaphone to our lips, says LPGA veteran Christina Kim. The USGAs announcement on Wednesday comes six weeks after Whan announced his decision to step down as LPGA commissioner after 11 years at the helm. He has the mobile perspective of someone whos worked both as a tour commissioner and on the manufacturing side of the industry. The suggestion of an overhauled identity for the association causes Whan to lean back in his chair and slow things down a touch. Mike Whan named next USGA CEO, ready to embrace challenges and Contact. The fact that those decisions will be made by a self-described misfit? (Donald Miralle/Getty Images). 2/24/2023 . Mike Whan is not featured on the Wikipedia page yet. I think the bottom line is youve got to be committed to the overall mission of making the game better, growing the game and making a difference to make sure the game will be just as healthy in 100 years as it is today. Even when I was doing the LPGA thing, I was doing some there. February 17, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Whan waves his hands around. One week ago, Whan signed on to join the USGA later this summer as CEO, becoming the eighth top executive in the organizations history. The reality is that were going to be a partner in virtually everything we do. We just need to be the helping hand, the boost, to help these young folks to keep playing and stay in the game. Her next shot was magical. I have a feeling Im going to look back at this no different than the LPGA and say, I cant believe I didnt take advantage of all the cool things I could have done. And theyve got to learn mine. The times are changing. You dont worry about the ghost of Sandy Tatum haunting you because caddies at the U.S. Open are shooting things with a laser? They dont intentionally startle the horses to the point that they jump the fence and run amok. last year, Whan was the commissioner of the L.P . Whan said its been on his list since 2010. Because theres a strength in how the USGA tackles a problem and understands governance, and some of the stuff that I dont have the patience for will be good for me to learn. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/usga-ceo-mike-whan-distance-money-national-developmental-team/. That technology will be what the average fan wants. Were just talking about the best of the best. I can promise you a year from now, if we do another interview, Ill be telling you about the 15 things the USGA is really proud of in terms of moving the needle for the game of golf. I think three things. Its a new era in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, though the full culture-changing impact of Whan at the helm undoubtedly will be slowed with so many still working from home. What you saw is what Mike Whan saw. Former LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan hired as next CEO of USGA - Yahoo Sports Everybody evolves not only to make the game better, but to make sure its great for the next 100 years. He was saying, That was something. I raised three boys, but if I had daughters, Id want to be able to tell them, If you can get to the highest level, the treatment youre going to get, the feeling youre going to get, the pay youre going to make is going to be similar to your brother, as opposed to trying to explain why her dream is worth about 20 percent of his. It's complicated, 7 things we learned (and didn't learn) from the ball-rollback explainer. (Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images for LPGA). Consider Sundays final threesome, Lexi Thompson, Megha Ganne and Yuka Saso. This U.S. Open wasnt you go, girl it was you go, period. There was a bigness to the event. I feel like if you want to critique the USGA, the fair critique is why not before now? Maybe disappear, spend the year at the family lake house in Georgia. He championed the creation of the International Crown, Founders Cup and Race to the CME Globe and helped transform the Womens PGA. Mike Whan | Reynolds Lake Oconee There is a certain image evoked when one thinks of the executive director of the USGA. Im talking about a statewide, then regional, then a national team, and working with our state and regional partners to help these kids. I know Im very different. Theres a discipline there thats healthy. Francis called shortly thereafter and said, That was great. Have your views changed at all since you took the job? We understand that we have to protect the game enough to make sure we dont obsolete ourselves, said Whan, but at the same time were not trying to stick R&D in a box. But as Ive said to the board, You can lead a team in a huddle. You can still huddle the industry, but make sure that people have a chance to talk and vote, and then somebodys gotta call the play. What Whan is qualified to do, though, is decide an overall direction for the USGA as a governing body. Not to Orlando, as he has done for the past decade, but to Newark. I dont know many players on the mens tour. With that, a 56-year-old who prefers playing golf with a speaker pumping music in the cart and who is admittedly unqualified to make on-course rulings became one of the single-most impactful decision-makers in the game. By the end of the interview, he assumed their interest would be nil. . MORE: The 9 most intriguing stories from U.S. Open Final Qualifying. It is a provocative rsum for the leader of the USGA, but Whan carries his outsider status with pride, noting that he is hardly an expert on the rules. He joined the TaylorMade Golf Company as vice president of marketing in 1995 and later served as vice president of sales and marketing and executive vice president/general manager for Taylormade-adidas Golf. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty). It is difficult, though, to get him to acknowledge the weight he now carries. The people on the manufacturing side know me well enough to know Im a marketing guy at heart. If youre there, theyll talk to you. Five months ago, Davis, a 30-year U.S.G.A. Of course, the Ping lawsuit from 1987 still hovers over this debate. The USGA has a unique role in golf in terms of we need to lead the way, said Francis, but we need to get people to come along with us.. Prior to joining the USGA, Whan served as the commissioner of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association), one of the longest-running and most successful womens sports organizations in the world, from January 2010June 2021. I dont. Whan is planning to introduce a U.S. Developmental program for young women, first, then expand it to men. I dont mean that in a bad way. Join InsideGOLF for only $20 - includes instant $20 Fairway Jockey credit! I think the USGA would be uniquely suited to do that. Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Ill say this: When I started at the LPGA, the U.S. Womens Open was really the front of the parade that pushed the rest of us to catch up in regard to purses. Mike Whan net worth. That is the worst television experience of your life. He is a former commissioner of the American Ladies Golf Association and has made a pretty [] 2023 United States Golf Association. Obviously, the success were having now with a different face of the game and the future, weve got to pour fuel on the fire and were in a great position to do that. Read More . There was a bigness of the stage.. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Mike's . But 30 years ago, would anybody have predicted that?. Whan is taking over and making these types of decisions at a potentially epochal time. In February, Whan was named the next Chief Executive Officer of the USGA. Walking in, Mike Whan looks around and says, yep, this'll work. One significant challenge is that mens purses arent slowing down any time soon, including majors. I think youre stretching if you dont think at some point we need to make sure we establish some new parameters. At a table, drinking a Diet Pepsi at 8 oclock in the morning, Whan starts talking. New decade of Mike Whan: 'Turning up volume' on women's empowerment Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Mike Whan will join the USGA this summer as CEO, becoming the eighth top executive . His first meeting with the USGA had come a month beforehand. Lets know some more interesting facts about the commissioner Mike Whan. Shes had that since her junior days. You mentioned LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, which has been a tremendous success. In 2002, Whan became the president and CEO of Mission Hockey, a hockey equipment company. Then the LPGA commissioner, Mike Whan speaks during the LPGA announcement of new brand positioning encouraging girls to #DriveOn in 2019. Carpeting that dates back to Willie Stargell. But the technology that theyre inventing and bringing to the pros is going to trickle into the hands of the consumer. As someone who is constantly praised as an innovative and bold leader, he makes every effort possible to divert the attention and credit his team. Its a word he uses constantly. I dont know who should start a USA Developmental Team, but I know what the first two letters of the USGA are, so why not us?. Mike Whan as the USGAs next CEO? And the USGA doesnt usually dodifferent. As Pro Golf Feuds, The Recreational Game Continues To Boom. As a teenager, he turned his passion for the game into a regular job on themaintenance crewof acountry club near his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hegraduated fromAnderson High School in Cincinnatibefore earning hisbachelorsdegree fromMiami University (Ohio) in1987. The timing of this event was ideal. What about the optics? Within a one-hour drive I could play some pretty strong golf courses. Fact is, though, his rise is anything but. So Ill be at the U.S. The board doesnt know their nicknames yet! Not really. Well, this should be interesting. That group is really what I consider my friends. We were building courses, not closing them. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I feel very valueless right now. He thought about LPGA rookie Albane Valenzuela, a former Olympian and Stanford All-American . Im still trying to understand why bifurcation scares everybody as much as it does. How to watch the coronation of King Charles III, Queen Consort Camila "Their reaction of 'Please do this, this should be good . He also oversaw the expansion of the LPGA to include both the Symetra Tour and Ladies European Tour, as well as a nearly 50 percent increase in membership of LPGA Professionals, the associations teaching division.