Why dont we have a U.S.A. development program for kids? 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. 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. last year, Whan was the commissioner of the L.P . Im convinced five are right, already. What should that money be spent on, and how big a bankroll does the USGA need to maintain? Likewise, Whan currently resides in Lake Mary, a city in Florida. Hannah Green couldnt hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years. Its important. When asked if he had any ideas jotted down on cocktail napkins yet, a classic Whan-ism, he held up a legal pad with seven bullet points. What Im saying is, I dont know the perspective of everybody else. Rory McIlroy, a measured and respected voice in the game, recently called the report a huge waste of time and money.. Theres a certain mythology to Whan, one that was polished smooth over his decade as commissioner of the LPGA Tour. He was a youth-sports quarterback who idolized an older, grittier neighborhood kid who became a mentor: Sean Payton, who played two seasons in the NFL and later coached the New Orleans Saints to a Super Bowl title. Hecurrently resides inGladstone, N.J.,with his wife Meg and hasthreeadult sons: Austin,Wesleyand Connor. 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. Im not sure that for the average golf course or the average golfer, distance has changed the course or the way they play it. Mike Whan Wikipedia And Bio. The biggest change inside the walls of the USGA under Whan, other than everything moving faster, is the shift in perspective at the Now, when inside the association proposes an idea, Whan might kick back with, Yeah, but if we dont figure this part out, well be putting manufacturers in a difficult spot. Or hell say, You know, that wont work for a tour organization. This amounts to a major shift in vantage point. How do we build a development team so these kids who have real prowess and opportunity could get developed earlier and with more help? For the mens professional game, do you need to limit the distance players are hitting it? Its a nice media headline, but Ive been going into the USGA offices since mid-May. Lets keep going.. 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. 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. Those are all the people that were going to have to pull together to make real change.. Lets make sure we can keep this game inside the stadiums that weve built, but at the same time, as soon as we draw whatever line in the sand that were gonna draw, I want it to be clear, and I want 3,000 engineers still waking up the next day and saying, OK, I think I can find another innovative way to make this better, right up to the line. If those engineers wake up and go, Well, games over, then I havent made the game better for the next 100 years. He currently resides in Gladstone, N.J., with his wife Meg and has three adult sons: Austin, Wesley and Connor. I dont have that. Whan graduated from Miami University of Ohio and began his corporate career at Proctor & Gamble. Whan, in a longer session with this reporter, was saying the same with a thing. He thought about Sierra Brooks, the promising Symetra Tour rookie with grand plans for the LPGA. Im not sure Id say that today, but I feel comfortable saying that will be the case again soon. Francis said Whan will start full-time with the USGA in the middle of the year and that Davis will help with the transition. . Unofficially, hes the first to ever eat at The Apollo Cafe. Mike Whan as the USGAs next CEO? 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. Then the question becomes, What partnership do you need? If you need agronomy help, then we could be there with agronomy help. No question he is a doer, a visionary, and that he brings ideas to life, says USGA president J. Stuart Francis. (Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images for LPGA). Theres certainly not a freedom to spend at will. 1. Because of that, we were willing to support his vision of what we could be., Whan grew up in Naperville, Ill., and at 13 worked on the maintenance crew of a country club. Im in a hurry to catch up. ", https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/02/17/usga-ceo-mike-whan-lpga-commissioner/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Q&A: Amy Olson on that deeply emotional U.S. Women's Open run, the LPGA's pickleball craze and replacing Mike Whan, Nichols: Mike Whan is leaving the LPGA, but the mission to cultivate allies for women's golf will never leave him, Players react to shocking news of commissioner Mike Whan leaving LPGA, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They dont come in swinging. No widgets added. 2023 United States Golf Association. Technically, Whan was at The Olympic Club, at a memorable U.S. Womens Open, as the LPGA commissioner. I also know that we live in a world where stuff happens. He wasnt. He left a year later for a post at TaylorMade as vice president of marketing. Whan said TaylorMade CEO Abeles was the first person to call and ask if he was thinking about the USGA job. Whan, meanwhile, is, in his own words, a salesman.He started at Procter & Gamble in 1987, rising to a position as director of marketing for its oral care department before leaving in 1994 to take over as vice president and GM of Wilson Sporting Goods. Saso, of the Philippines, the winner, Whan had met once, briefly. Hes wearing an Oakmont CC golf shirt, one he picked up during the U.S. That is, until Whan made a few quiet phone calls to other leaders in the industry - Jay Monahan (PGA Tour), Keith Pelley (European Tour), David Abeles (TaylorMade) and the man he would replace at the USGA, Mike Davis. Try a week on us. Hes off-the-record almost immediately, sharing a couple of good yarns he asks not be written. 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. Lydia Ko can still talk to New Zealand Golf and have real support in terms of guidance, coaches and everything else. I dont mean that in a bad way. It would be about catching up to what other countries are already doing. I feel like its embarrassingly past time. Their reaction was the game-over point for me, said Whan. Whan took over the job a little more than a year ago after spending 11-plus years as commissioner of the LPGA Tour. Im not sure what decisions will come out of that, but Im certainly not gonna let fear be the driver in making those decisions. If anything, its like global warming, Whan says. The USGA really does feel a responsibility to do the right thing for the game for the next hundred years. In 2002, Whan became the president and CEO of Mission Hockey, a hockey equipment company. I feel very valueless right now. When, in conversation, you bring up this very obvious characterization to Whan, he sort of scoffs it away. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. Lets know some more interesting facts about the commissioner Mike Whan. Opens. We all went through this awkward transition, and that got a lot of attention, but today, I cant think of a rules change in that modernization that wasnt a home run. And then, of course, the headliner from that group, Saso, 19, the first Filipino golfer, female or male, to win a major, doing it in a playoff. . If you need help from a membership perspective, then let us provide that. But Whan knows that for sports fans who only follow the mens game, this seems remarkable. Lets pause, however. Building a strong development program for the youth, especially for diverse youth, changes the way golf looks in 20 years. What seemed like such an obvious next step to so many for the outgoing LPGA commissioner wasnt a slam-dunk to the man himself. However, he is active on LinkedIn which pretty much gives oversight to his career and professional biography. View Michael Whan's business profile as Chief Executive Officer at USGA. Follow Brendan on Twitter @BFQuinn, Mike Wahn, here with Mariah Stackhouse at the 2018 ANA Inspiration, developed a reputation as an outside-the-box thinker during his time as LPGA commissioner. Eight years later, in 2010, the job of LPGA commissioner came open when Carolyn Bivens resigned amid heavy tumult. Thats more important to a USGA person than any other counterpoint of view. Unfortunately, its just like the LPGA, Im sitting currently in a city that isnt mine and wont be home again for another few days. His first meeting with the USGA had come a month beforehand. The fact that those decisions will be made by a self-described misfit? 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. Before that, he spent nearly 23 years as senior writer for Sports Illustrated. . I hear people say, Were building a course; its gonna be 8,700 yards so we can host anything. The acreage that takes, the water, the maintenance, it all adds up. Its not difficult to get Whan to talk about himself. You dont have to lead from outside the huddle. It's still April, How can golf courses use less water? How spectacular. Mike started his career as a professional golfer in 1988. David Fay and his bow tie. Is that one of your mandates, to change the culture? They did enough homework on me to know I will be culturally different. We were building courses, not closing them. Here (from left) with Jess McAlister, Randi Zuckerberg, Kira K. Dixon, Jeehae Lee and Marissa Mar. Stanford is going to have some team when she gets there, Whan said. (David Cannon / Getty), Mike Whan will have to lead the USGA through significant change in the golf industry. By the way, I dont drive a Ford truck, but my point is what you can do for the best in the world and how that translates down to what youre doing for consumers. What you saw is what Mike Whan saw. . Mike Whan CEO. Under his leadership, the LPGA experienced unprecedented growth, with significant increases in the number of tournaments, purses and television coverage. I dont know if you remember this, but the last time we were there, there was a billboard that said, Coming soon, The Cottages of Hamilton Farms. For some reason I went home and typed in the address, and they had concept homes. Who is Mike Whan Wife? The decisions coming down the pike that he will have to put his name on particularly in the area of rolling back distance at the highest levels of the game are ones that will ultimately be both hugely impactful on the future of golf and bullet points on his legacy. This is how he operates. Mike Whan's net worth must be a fortune. As per his date of birth, his age . The reality is that were going to be a partner in virtually everything we do. Pandemics happen, lawsuits happen and all kinds of things where youd say, if youre going to run the game with a leaders mentality, you have to make sure you have the ability to do just that. Mike started working with LPGA as a commissioner in 2009 and is working to date. The times are changing. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Particularly in the case of the ongoing distance debate, which as the USGA moves to the solution phase of its Distance Insights Report, there continues to be strong feelings on both sides of the aisle. That is, until Whan made a few quiet phone calls to other leaders in the industry Jay Monahan (PGA Tour), Keith Pelley (European Tour), David Abeles (TaylorMade) and the man he would replace at the USGA, Mike Davis. 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. What do you wake up thinking about these days? So Ive moved there. Initially, he thought he was going to do exactly that. 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. . Making sure young girls view this game as theirs just as much as their brothers. How do you win them over? Michael (Mike) Whan joined the USGA as its chief executive officer (CEO) on July 1, 2021, becoming its eighth chief executive. Im not really sure why. He enjoyed a salary of $1,176,119 per year during his time at ALGA. Good perks of the USGA. Mike Whan is not featured on the Wikipedia page yet. Lets talk distance debate. Since then, he has worked very hard and became one of the well-known names in his field. What it wont do is worry too much about the traditionalists out there complaining about the influx. The blue coats. Hopefully theres something powerful in the middle, he said. To their credit, they dont really get too out of whack when it doesnt work out, but they also dont get too high when its successful. 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. Mike Whan's salary per month and other career earnings are over $400,000 dollars annually. Mike Whan is a commissioner at LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) as one of its longest-running commissioners. But the technology that theyre inventing and bringing to the pros is going to trickle into the hands of the consumer. One of your pet peeves has always been that range finders are not allowed in competition. 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. There will be things we do where we have to be the final decision maker: rules or what were going to do on distance and equipment testing. They know I wouldnt be able to help myself. His foot was on the gas. Back in 2011 and 2012, I used to count on the USGA pushing everyone else along. 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. Why dont we? Whan asks. 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. Now that youre USGA CEO, what can you do to help American women succeed more at the highest level? 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. Am I motivational to that team or currently a pain? @USGAMike would be Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA. Mike started working with LPGA as a commissioner in 2009 and is working to date. My assistant [at the LPGA] always found it strange that Tuesday when I was at a tournament was blocked in my schedule. 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. 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. As Mike Whan begins his 11th year as the LPGA tour's commissioner with no plan on leaving, . 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.. Ill give you a couple: Saucon Valley, Baltusrol. 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. For an organization that has skewed insular, Whans unorthodox background and skill as a communicator came to be seen as a plus. Contact. Other countries have great developmental programs. Thats who she is.. Whan began his career in 1987 at the Procter & Gamble Company, where he rose to director of marketing for oral care before leaving to pursue his passion for sports. Whan knows that womens golf is a perfect stage for the pursuit of fairness, equality and equal opportunity. At an LPGA event, Ill walk the driving range and know every last player, Whan said Sunday night in a phone interview. What is Mike Whan Nationality ? Whans sports business career began at Wilson Sporting Goods as a vice president and general manager in the golf division. Relax, people. Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 JM Eagle LA Championship. Your 2021 U.S. Womens Open champion. . He championed the creation of the International Crown, Founders Cup and Race to the CME Globe and helped transform the Womens PGA. If we dont figure out some answers on distance, we might put that in jeopardy. 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. getty images. He did more than give us a voice; he held the megaphone to our lips, says LPGA veteran Christina Kim. Whan reached out to Fay, who also served on the LPGA board during Whans tenure and is a friend, but a polar opposite. Fay was a singular institution as USGA executive director from 1989 to 2010. Whan got the job because he is viewedinside and outside the USGAas an agent of change after a successful 11-year tenure as LPGA commissioner. For 11 years before joining the U.S.G.A. To me, it's one of those technological improvements that can improve the viewer experience and the pace of play. The first time Mike Whan walked into USGA headquarters wearing shorts and a T-shirt, he could tell employees immediately began to text about the new CEOs casual attire. Its not that the USGA didnt care about those things before, Whan says, it was that they didnt have that knowledge in the room.. Just as lasting is the close connection he forged with the players, each of whom was famously given his cell number. 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. I know that in this role Ill spend a lot of time with David Abeles, or John Solheim or Bob Parsons or the whole team fromAcushnet. To the fans, to the broadcasters, to the players. February 17, 2021 at 11:00 AM. Hell no doubt reveal the rest of that list in one of his many upcoming conference calls with his new staff. Those 5,000 become golf nuts working in the equipment industry, building courses, working in golf shops. Mike Whan is a married man. As you know, for every five people that make it to that Walker Cup level, there are 5,000 that had incredible junior careers but didnt get to that level. Michael Bamberger welcomes your comments atMichael.Bamberger@Golf.com. This water-conservation whiz's is among them, Pros playing two different balls?! 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. 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. Within a one-hour drive I could play some pretty strong golf courses. 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. Olympic added in every way. That was not only new for me, but I think it was new for them because they havent been in the office a whole lot. The announcement was made in a Manhattan ballroom as part of USGA CEO Mike Whan's first press conference as the organization's top boss. In fact, now that he oversees the biggest championship in womens golf, the subject of equal purses at the U.S. and U.S. Womens Open seems especially relevant. So Ill be at the U.S. Thats probably why when Whan walked into USGA headquarters for his first executive leadership meeting earlier this summer, he didnt realize he was the only one there wearing shorts. That could prove useful because, for whatever reason, tour players these days love to criticize the USGA. Here was a course that had hosted a series of historic mens majors. The PGA Championship announced the same. I cant say definitively, but I think your memory of my perspective is true. Read More . An omelet with bacon andsausage. What are some venues you would like to take the U.S. Open to that have not been showcased recently or ever? Im proud of that, but at the same time Ive got to find the right balance. What incoming USGA chief Mike Whan was thinking watching the U.S. Women's Open. That is the worst television experience of your life. They dont intentionally startle the horses to the point that they jump the fence and run amok. 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.