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. They understand youre different, but you come from a place of knowledge. I remember thinking when I got off the phone, Maybe theres something here. 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. The reality of it is, and I say this to new hires all the time, Im probably the most valuable the first 90 days because you dont look at anything with a filter. The USGA wont be alone in getting it up and running. I remember when I was at Rio, for the Olympics, and at a press conference and the first question I got was, How cool is it, to have all these players from so many different countries? And I answered the question but I thought, At our next LPGA event, well havemorecountries represented. Womens golf is borderless. You cant be the commissioner of a sport, you cant be the CEO of the USGA and think youre gonna win a popularity contest. 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). Opens is intensely singular. Whan knows that womens golf is a perfect stage for the pursuit of fairness, equality and equal opportunity. The final round of the U.S. Womens Open was painful, unexpected and spectacular, because thats what golf is, played at its highest levels, and on its most beautiful playing fields. After golfs year of growth during the pandemic, what should be the USGAs role in growing the game and maintaining that momentum from 2020? If you talk to a USGA person, they want to make sure that the game can be just as good, if not better, for the next hundred years as the last hundred. Youre a marketing guyyou know the entire equipment industry is built on 18-handicappers wanting to play the same driver as Dustin Johnson. I remember thinking wow, because I loved the course, I actually liked the club, so when I took the job one of the first things I asked the realtor was, can you take me to the cottages at Hamilton Farms? Whan was at the end of a long week and about to start another one. Im not sure that for the average golf course or the average golfer, distance has changed the course or the way they play it. Whereas we picture USGA-types walking out their country clubs and into the association, Whan found the game by chance as a kid back in the late 1970s. He championed the creation of the International Crown, Founders Cup and Race to the CME Globe and helped transform the Womens PGA. So Ive moved there. Mike Whan | Reynolds Lake Oconee 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. It would be a feeder for virtually everything we do, right? I was MUCH more lucky than @candace_adkison she is the best Ive ever worked with!! What incoming USGA chief Mike Whan was thinking watching the U.S. Womens Open, Hannah Green survives 3-way playoff for emotional victory at JM Eagle LA Championship, Tour Confidential: Tony Finaus rise, Justin Thomas career, summer trips, In defeat, Jon Rahm says 1 sentence that may inspire YOU to work on Monday, 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, How the arrow on Tony Finaus Ping putter can benefit YOUR game | Winners bag. Im not really sure its fundamentally different from a question you could ask other major owners. He checks out a breakfast menu on the wall, makes a quick decision. For 11 years before joining the U.S.G.A. My assistant [at the LPGA] always found it strange that Tuesday when I was at a tournament was blocked in my schedule. Of course I want to preserve the game, but only after I promote it.. Take a look at the rules changes from a few years ago. It stinks to walk into a building and know that virtually everybody in that building knows more about the USGA, the current challenges, the partners and the problems than I do. To hear Whan tell it, the odds, as he saw them, were overwhelmingly stacked against him. Its a nice media headline, but Ive been going into the USGA offices since mid-May. They did enough homework on me to know I will be culturally different. It will instead take an industry huddle to get to the finish line. I love the innovation and we want to keep seeing innovation. In Naming a New Chief Executive, the U.S.G.A. Looks to the Women's Game This story originally appeared in The Extra Point . First, though, he wanted some time away from it all. July 13, 2021 3:15 pm ET. The organization, do I have the right team? Then I can route it to whatever department. But, we cant do that blindly, to where it pulls the game back to where manufacturers pull back, and advertising pulls way back, and as a result, the excitement of the fan pulls way back., Its hard to be all things to all parties but that, apparently, is what Whan is going for. Where are you playing your golf these days? Mike Whan was on his way to the gas station recently, wearing the protective gloves his wife had given him, when the plight of several players came to mind. Five months ago, Davis, a 30-year U.S.G.A. As LPGA commissioner, one of your quiet goals was to have equal purses in the major championships for men and women. .even when its overwhelmingly successful. LPGA players consistently praised Whans transparent approach. The good news is my first day was an ELT, executive leadership team, meeting and we did it face-to-face. Whan talked to Mike Davis about it, wondering aloud if this was an insane idea? GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. His upbringing in golf was spent sweating. He has a deep understanding of the changing landscape, and that is critical given all the important topics that exist in golf, Francis says. If youre not, theyll talk to somebody else. He aint that. By: Michael Bamberger June 7, 2021. Seated face to face in a room at the Olympic Club's City Clubhouse, about 10 miles north of the U.S. Women's Open venue, two of the game's power brokers candidly riffed on childhood jobs . The February announcement of him as the USGA boss came with an accompanying characterization of him as an outsider, as a wild card, as a reformer. What did your agenda look like on Day 1 at the helm? The USGA has made its share of missteps over the years, but people in golf are inclined to cut it slack because unlike the players and manufacturers and agents and even the PGA Tour, the USGAs mission is to protect the game, not make money. Mike Whan is a married man. FACE TIME: Whan is known for walking the range at tournaments. When Mike Whan took over as LPGA commissioner in 2010, the tour's schedule featured only 24 official events worth $41.4 million in prize money. When, in conversation, you bring up this very obvious characterization to Whan, he sort of scoffs it away. The pub will be open at about 6 a.m., or as early as owner Mike Stone can get to the pub, for . 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. Were just talking about the best of the best. 1 of 3. Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 JM Eagle LA Championship. Mike Whan calls into radio show to give his thoughts on Rory's drive The first thing were going to invest in is to make sure were the best championships in the world, he said. Some people might not love that, but someone has to make that decision. Im still trying to understand why bifurcation scares everybody as much as it does. Im a highs and lows guy. As for the fact that the winner speaks three languages, ditto. Its all in relationships. One significant challenge is that mens purses arent slowing down any time soon, including majors. Its ingrained in his very specific bio, one filled with a sequence of quirks. It was because I walked the range so that I could hear from my members. 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. And it needs clarity. I think thats a fair critique. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images). I just got off the phone with a recruiter and I gave him your name, Whan replied. New USGA CEO Mike Whan talks distance, money and the possibility of a Thats something the old USGA might concern itself with. When discussing change, Whan likes to present a conventional thought and roll his eyes at it at the same time addressing and dismissing, all at once. I wont lie to you and say its going to be popular, but its important and I think it would be irresponsible for us not to relook at something that the last significant look was 1976. Whan, who has admitted that he might not be a great fit culturally for the USGA, will no doubt change the culture of the organization as it will inevitably change him. I think three things. Also, learn details Info regarding the Current Net worth of Mike Whan USGA Salary, Wikipedia, Wife And Net Worth as well as 's earnings, Worth, Salary, Property, and Income. Sounexpected. Lots of grease. He enjoyed a salary of $1,176,119 per year during his time at ALGA. If there are strong points of view that they think the USGA should hear, I should be the one hearing them. I know Im right., They may be conceptually right, but there are pieces of it that are changing. I knew, if theyre going to hire me, then theyre going to have to hire me. He should have been tired. When Whan called to say he was considering the offer, Fay said he couldnt believe the USGA had actually offered him the job, but endorsed the idea, nevertheless. Through the years Whan, 56, fielded calls on everything from pin positions to the clubhouse buffet, but it was the open dialogue on weightier matters that changed the culture of the LPGA. Thus, when he talks about how the game needs to address its significant issues related to distance, he does so from a broader context and looks for consensus-building. Just as he recruited the rest of the industry to commit to growing girls golf on a larger scale, Whan sees the USGAs role in capitalizing on the games recent participation boom as part of an industry-wide effort. He started caddying at a local country club in Naperville, Ill., out in Chicagos western suburbs and ended up taking a job on the grounds crew. I remember showing it to my wife, who wouldnt have had any interest in New Jersey at that time either. I know the industry enough to know that Mike Whan was probably a bit of a misfit, relative to what the USGA typically has, Whan says with his mouth full. It is difficult, though, to get him to acknowledge the weight he now carries. Theyd interviewed a number of promising candidates, Francis said, but Whan was the shining light, the man who checked every box and could come in ready to move at 100 mph. Its doable, I can guarantee you that.. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Mike Whan will join the USGA this summer as CEO, becoming the eighth top executive . I dont know that I agree that its fundamentally changed the way the game is played, but I do think its creating issues, not only for the people that are hosting events but for anybody who wants to host in the future. Its not that the USGA didnt care about those things before, Whan says, it was that they didnt have that knowledge in the room.. I think the USGA would be uniquely suited to do that. Olympic added in every way. Mike Whan is married and has kids with his wife. Other countries have great developmental programs. We cant kid ourselves and think were going to be the business answer for everybody, but where we can aid, we should. I cant say definitively, but I think your memory of my perspective is true. Technically, Whan was at The Olympic Club, at a memorable U.S. Womens Open, as the LPGA commissioner. Ever the relentless salesman, he says with a laugh, I still have a passion for toothpaste., MORE: Why Torrey Pines marks the end of a design era in majors. More than anything though, hell strive to be golfs champion. His first meeting with the USGA had come a month beforehand. And what I mean by that is sometimes your partner takes the lead and sometimes youre the wind behind the sail and nobody knows it. If you need to showcase how you can conserve water, well be there. Everybody evolves not only to make the game better, but to make sure its great for the next 100 years. Mike is effective at doing that. You know me, Id rather be talking about that more than they used to because I think we should. 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. I went from having zero white polos to having seven, Whan says. I was built with a marketing bone thats out of whack, so I wont know how to tamp that down. U.S. Open 2021: Can new USGA boss Mike Whan help solve golfs biggest challenges. "With the stuff that went down at 9/11, I have a hard time getting involved with them. Thompson, who made a bogey on the last to finish a shot out of a playoff, was a central figure in Whans 11 years as commissioner. Whan acknowledged that the distance problem wont be solved in a team meeting in a board room at USGA headquarters. Whan says that, during his tenure, the USGA wont be alone in a lot of its actions. He is a former commissioner of the American Ladies Golf Association and has made a pretty [] It's 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 . Since then, the three previous executive directors Frank Hannigan, Fay and Davis all worked for the USGA for anywhere from 11 to 21 years before taking the post. Carpeting that dates back to Willie Stargell. Whan, 56, will replace Mike Davis, the top executive at the U.S.G.A., which conducts the United States Open and 13 other national championships. We were building courses, not closing them. I think youre stretching if you dont think at some point we need to make sure we establish some new parameters. We have to make sure that the experience people are having now will make them come back.. Hell no doubt reveal the rest of that list in one of his many upcoming conference calls with his new staff. . Former LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan hired as next CEO of USGA - USA Today It needs a vision for the future.. He worked grounds crew jobs all through college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, right up until he was hired at Procter & Gamble. Im not really sure why. I also know that we live in a world where stuff happens. Now that youre USGA CEO, what can you do to help American women succeed more at the highest level? We also do not know when the couple got married.Mike Whan was born on 1965, February 10. Im not sure that whats in the bank account does anything other than enhance the responsibility you feel Michael Whan Email & Phone Number - USGA | ZoomInfo Mike Whan is married to his wife, Meg Whan. How to watch the coronation of King Charles III, Queen Consort Camila . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Mike Whan is readying to succeed Mike Davis. What seemed like such an obvious next step to so many for the outgoing LPGA commissioner wasnt a slam-dunk to the man himself. There is nothing worse on TV than watching a golfer and caddie do arithmetic. We all woke up and said, Holy shit, look whats happening. We were running out of equipment, golf courses were running out of tee times. Rory McIlroy, a measured and respected voice in the game, recently called the report a huge waste of time and money.. (Top photo by Cliff Hawkins / Getty Images). Saso, of the Philippines, the winner, Whan had met once, briefly. I know Im very different. Fact is, though, his rise is anything but. Whan? You know these issues plenty well enough. They dont come in swinging. If were talking about the mens professional game, Id be surprised if people dont believe that some degree of reining in wouldnt be good for the game long-term. Toward the end of 2020, having navigated the LPGA through much of the pandemic, Whan decided he was ready to step aside and do something else. Do you agree that at the highest level of the mens game, the distance gains have fundamentally changed how the sport is played and have rendered a lot of traditional venues, if not obsolete, certainly heading that way? Golfweek caught up with Whan, who officially started July 1, when he was a mere seven days into the new gig to talk about where the game might be headed under his leadership. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Mike . He was wrong. USGA's new CEO Whan: Brooklawn made 'sense' to host U.S - Conn His foot was on the gas. . Fact is, hes different. Im convinced five are right, already. We just have to make sure that the out of bounds stakes arent so far out that we wake up without the sport., The fast-talking Whan is quick to admit that there are plenty of areas within the USGA in which he is no expert. He and Meg share 3 children, namely, Austin Whan, Wesley Whan, and Connor Whan. If I have a customer in town or a friend, I could impress them. I really want to listen to other people and understand their perspective. Where are you on the distance debate? 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. One week after Sergio Garcia won his green jacket last April, Mike Whan, commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), purchased a summer home at Reynolds Lake Oconee. USGA names Mike Whan as its new CEO - golfdigest.com In 1999, he was named president of marketing for Britesmile, Inc., a teeth whitening company, and remained there until 2002 when he took over as president of Mission Hockey. The LPGA made it official in January, announcing Whans departure. Initially, he thought he was going to do exactly that. Stu Francis, the current president of the USGA board, asked him to meet with a few members of the search committee during the U.S. Womens Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston. Ill chime in, but I didnt choose venues at the LPGA, and I wont choose venues at the USGA. Its great when you have plans , Whan says. And weve got to get comfortable with each other.. Under his leadership, the LPGA experienced unprecedented growth, with significant increases in the number of tournaments, purses and television coverage. Im proud of that, but at the same time Ive got to find the right balance. Then the question becomes, What partnership do you need? If you need agronomy help, then we could be there with agronomy help. Then there was Ganne, Jersey girl, making a putt on the last to take the low-am medal by a shot at age 17. I want to make sure were at least filling that role for the next 10 to 15 years and really setting new boundaries. Shell get her name on that trophy before shes through. It only seems like Thompson has been around forever. USGA Boosts U.S. Women's Open Purse to $10 Million, Adds Five Future As Mike Whan begins his 11th year as the LPGA tour's commissioner with no plan on leaving, . MORE: 33 things you dont remember from Tigers epic 2008 win at Torrey Pines. If the publics feelings about the USGA could be distilled into a building, the result would look something like the clubhouse at The Olympic Club: formal and old-fashioned. Lets talk distance debate. We just need to be the helping hand, the boost, to help these young folks to keep playing and stay in the game.