Is Mike Whan The Next CEO For The USGA?

When the surprising news came out this week that LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan will be leaving his post sometime this year, the immediate question is:

What’s next for Mike Whan, sports executive extraordinare?

There’s another very high profile job in the world of golf opening up.  Last September, Mike Davis, the CEO of the United States Golf Association announced that he will be leaving that job sometime this year.

Sounds like perfect timing for the perfect candidate to carry on the work at the USGA and that would be Mike Whan himself.

Whan was the longest tenured  commissioner of the ladies tour.  Over the past 11 years he rescued the LPGA  Tour from the brink and guided the tour through a series of financial challenges, most recently the coronavirus pandemic. Whan recently announced an ambitious schedule for this year, a 34-event slate that features new tournaments, new sponsors and a record $76.45 million in prize money. In 2010, the year Whan took over, the LPGA had only 24 official events – its smallest schedule in nearly 40 years – and just $41.4 million in prize money.

Whan did an incredible job and he was tasked with growing a tour that didn’t have sponsors knocking on its door.

“I simply wouldn’t leave the LPGA if I thought the future was uncertain or not trending straight up,” Whan said this week.  “In fact, even after the challenges we faced in 2020, the LPGA has NEVER been more financially secure, deeper in leadership talent, or more anchored by passionate, diverse sponsors from all around the world. The LPGA is poised for even greater heights, and as such, I’m excited to hand the baton to the next leader and become their biggest supporter.”

Whan will obviously be heavily involved in finding the next commissioner for the LPGA Tour.

Some of the talking heads (female) at the Golf Channel are already tossing out the idea that the next commish for the LPGA Tour should be a woman.  The already went down that road with Carolyn Bivens and her tenure was a disaster.  What the ladies need is simply the BEST candidate, be it male or female.

And they should trust Mike Whan to identify that person, whoever it may be.

Annika, Gary Player And The Babe Receiver Presidential Medal Of Freedom:

Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player and Babe Didrikson Zaharias were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Thursday in the White House at a ceremony help by President Donald Trump.

The ceremony was held in the East Room of the White House but was closed to the press due to the unrest at the Capital on Wednesday.

Sorenstam and Player were on hand and W.L. Pate Jr., president of the Babe Zaharias Foundation, accepted the medal in honor of Zaharias, who died in 1956.

The three  join Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Charlie Sifford and Tiger Woods as the only golfers to receive the award.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”  The Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal are the nation’s highest civilian awards.