Ill give you a couple: Saucon Valley, Baltusrol. I think theres a lot of people out there that need to know what the USGA has the opportunity to pursue. He thought about Sierra Brooks, the promising Symetra Tour rookie with grand plans for the LPGA. Its a big business! 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. We also do not know when the couple got married. USGA: New CEO Mike Whan talks distance, money and more - Yahoo! Is that good?, I think, instead, we want to make sure golf innovation continues. 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 CEO's casual attire. There will be no shortage of bridge-building. Mike Whan USGA Salary And Wikipedia: Family Facts On New CEO He and his wife, Meg, were going to take 2021 off. 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. 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. You walk in another room and theyre talking about testing standards for the next 30 or 40 years. How do we build a development team so these kids who have real prowess and opportunity could get developed earlier and with more help? 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. USGA names Mike Whan as its new CEO - golfdigest.com I dont have the education that I need on this topic. Just as lasting is the close connection he forged with the players, each of whom was famously given his cell number. Youre a marketing guyyou know the entire equipment industry is built on 18-handicappers wanting to play the same driver as Dustin Johnson. Im never really sure which 30 until the next morning when I wake up and I hear back, but if that fear of the 30 percent stops you from hitting the send button, then youre not the right person for the job. I know at the end of the day, Im going to have to make a call, but I dont want to make a call without hearing from everyone possible.. A typical day at the USGA is like 15 or 20 people, because we havent reopened yet. When, in conversation, you bring up this very obvious characterization to Whan, he sort of scoffs it away. Mike Whan USGA Salary and CEO Net Worth, His Wikipedia - Mixedarticle If there are strong points of view that they think the USGA should hear, I should be the one hearing them. 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. He wouldnt dream of faking it but also requested to get signed up for the next virtual rules seminar so that I wont embarrass you probably more than I already will.. I was MUCH more lucky than @candace_adkison she is the best Ive ever worked with!! 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. Likewise, Whan currently resides in Lake Mary, a city in Florida. Why does Ford spend $50 million in NASCAR? When I started talking to (USGA President) Stu (Francis) about this, really the key for me I think to be successful in this job is not only to think big and long-term about golf, which is easy for me, but also making sure that were doing it with others, not just for others. It needs a vision for the future.. To the fans, to the broadcasters, to the players. Ive had this phrase in my head forever, which is, The USGA is going to be golfs greatest trusted partner to champion and advance this game, no matter who you are. Their reaction was the game-over point for me, said Whan. It will instead take an industry huddle to get to the finish line. I really like figuring out businesses, figuring out the right formula to really make them move their best. Team England officials have been left scrambling. Their reaction of Please do this, this should be good for all of us. He flew home on Friday because thats what he always has done at U.S. 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 . Whan said TaylorMade CEO Abeles was the first person to call and ask if he was thinking about the USGA job. We were building courses, not closing them. 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. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! When someone referred to Whan as Boss, he parried, Not yet. But he was just being literal. Am I motivational to that team or currently a pain? 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. Mike Whan with his wife( Source : gettyimages) Whan is 56 years old and was born on February 10, 1965. .even when its overwhelmingly successful. Seven. Have your views changed at all since you took the job? Good perks of the USGA. Its not difficult to get Whan to talk about himself. I havent had those conversations with everybody yet, but I will. Mike started his career as a professional golfer in 1988. Golf Digest talked with Whan at The Olympic Club, where he nursed a Coke Zerohe refused to say how many he drinks in a day, but suffice to say it is a lotand radiated a caffeinated enthusiasm for the challenges that await. View Mike Whan's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. It can be frustrating, though, because at times the USGA hasnt done a good job telling its story . Theres a lot of ghosts that I worry about bothering me, but thats not one of em. USGA President Stu Francis, who oversaw the CEO search process, said hed wake up at 3 a.m. worrying about whether or not Whan would take the job. But really, these arent the areas Whan will make his waves. 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. I cant say definitively, but I think your memory of my perspective is true. But why now? If youre not, theyll talk to somebody else. The good news is my first day was an ELT, executive leadership team, meeting and we did it face-to-face. You didnt get it done, but now youll have the juice to make it happen at the national championships. Well, we cant sit and watch it this time. He spent the next 11 years leading the tour to massive growth expanding the schedule from 24 events to 34 and nearly doubling the prize money. It is difficult, though, to get him to acknowledge the weight he now carries. You dont get there by historical relevance alone. Inkster, who served on the LPGA's search committee for a second time, liked what she saw in Marcoux Samaan . 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. Then there was Ganne, Jersey girl, making a putt on the last to take the low-am medal by a shot at age 17. Then I got into the office on the first day and one of the first questions I was asked was, Hi Mike, are you all set on white polos?, I said to em, I go, Uh, I have seven of them., And they go, Yes, right, is that OK? I understood that before I got here. Whan, 49 (DOB: Feb. 10, 1965), started his business career at the Procter & Gamble Company in 1987, rising within the ranks as a Brand Assistant, Brand Manager and eventually Director of Marketing . No ones wants to take away grandpas Big Bertha. And it needs clarity. Golfis ripe for all those things. Lets keep going.. Got a wish list? I dont know that Im right, and I really want to hear other perspectives. 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. Mike Whan Wikipedia And Bio. Late last month, Whan and his wife moved to a home on a golf course called Hamilton Farm, about five miles from his new office. At Olympic, 30 percent of the players I didnt know at all. 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. Mike Whan named next USGA CEO, ready to embrace challenges and Hes at warp speed. 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. I also know that we live in a world where stuff happens. Im a highs and lows guy. I feel like sometimes when you sit at the highest office, by design only the good news makes it to you because nobody wants to tell you the bad news, right? His wife is Meg, but her identity is yet to be revealed to the public. Mike Whan is a commissioner at LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) as one of its longest-running commissioners. Im a pretty global guy, and I do love how global the game is, but as headof the United States Golf Association,I feel its not only a responsibility butI feel quite frankly its something Im passionate about. But Im not sure the USGA would ever take a bow. LPGA schedule: Mike Whan works through scenarios, player - Golfweek 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. Then I can route it to whatever department. What is Mike Whan Nationality ? By the end of the interview, he assumed their interest would be nil. 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 watched the weekend golf unfold on Golf Channel, on Peacock, on NBC, then back to Golf Channel. What do you wake up thinking about these days? Hell no doubt reveal the rest of that list in one of his many upcoming conference calls with his new staff. He keeps moving, not breaking stride. 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. 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. . Whan talked to Mike Davis about it, wondering aloud if this was an insane idea? 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. He came to The Athletic from MLive Media Group, where he covered Michigan and Michigan State basketball. Whan was at the end of a long week and about to start another one. "Their reaction of 'Please do this, this should be good . 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.. As Whan moves into a broader role in golf, his passion for the womens game isnt going anywhere. This year, it has 34 events and a record $76.45 . New USGA CEO Mike Whan talks distance, money and the possibility of a The USGA wont be alone in getting it up and running. Whan is active on Twitter with the handle @USGAMike . Whan is taking over and making these types of decisions at a potentially epochal time. There are people at the USGA, hopefully, much smarter than I am on venue selection. 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. Aw, no, no, I cant. I really want to listen to other people and understand their perspective. Mike Whan spent 11 years rebuilding the LPGA Tour to be strong enough to survive a pandemic. Rory McIlroy, a measured and respected voice in the game, recently called the report a huge waste of time and money.. This, for the record, is not how the leader of the USGA usually comes to power. He made us feel empowered and invested in the future of the tour. Shes 26. He has a deep understanding of the changing landscape, and that is critical given all the important topics that exist in golf, Francis says. Nothing on the menu over eight bucks. (One of Whans challenges will be maintaining continuity as the USGA welcomes a new president every three years; I value the different perspectives they will bring, Whan says, but its my job to steer the ship.). Lets talk distance debate. This is where Whan shows all of his sides. So Ill be at the U.S. Amateur, Senior Open, the U.S. Open to talk to the customers, which in this case are the players. He did more than give us a voice; he held the megaphone to our lips, says LPGA veteran Christina Kim. Her next shot was magical. 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. There was a bigness to the event. And none of that is the championship side, which is significant in its own right, but I did know when I walked in. After a successful tenure at the LPGA, Mike Whan will become the eighth lead executive in the USGA's history. Mike Whan USGA Salary And Wikipedia: Family Facts On New CEO Consider Sundays final threesome, Lexi Thompson, Megha Ganne and Yuka Saso. All people that I would spend time with if I retired.. Where are you on the distance debate? Brendan Quinn covers college basketball and golf for The Athletic. We have a deal at the LPGA where if we get a negative email or a negative call from a consumer or a fan or a member, it has to go to me first. 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. 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. 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. 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. We seem to be living in a time when people arecravingfairness, equality, equal opportunity, in golf and beyond it. Within a one-hour drive I could play some pretty strong golf courses. Amid all the developments in and around pro golf chaotic and otherwise the broader recreational game continues to thrive, now more than two years into what many see as a Covid-driven renaissance. Its a complex job, being the CEO, but you need to distill it in understandable ways to a variety of constituents. It's still April, How can golf courses use less water? Commissioner Michael Whan Bio - Lpga Whan graduated from Miami University of Ohio and began his corporate career at Proctor & Gamble. 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. New USGA CEO Mike Whan chats with a guest at the Kolbe Conversations "Let's Talk Golf" held Tuesday at the Patterson Club in Fairfield. At the time, after WNBA commissioner Donna Orender withdrew her name from consideration, the front-runner was believed to be then-USGA chief business officer Pete Bevacqua. Its not that the USGA didnt care about those things before, Whan says, it was that they didnt have that knowledge in the room.. Though, he has not explored his parents in the limelight. Davis said, yes, but that it could work. Who is Mike Whan Wife? USGA CEO Mike Whan was apparently listening to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on his way into the office Friday morning when a conversation piqued him. The distance debate is a 100-year-old problem, Whan said, and hes impressed that the USGA and R&A have committed to making changes that will be good for the game for the next 100 years. Other countries have great developmental programs. Former LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan hired as next CEO of USGA - USA Today He checks out a breakfast menu on the wall, makes a quick decision. Asked to summarize his biggest takeaway from the week, Whan said, Venues matter. He enjoyed a salary of $1,176,119 per year during his time at ALGA. How to watch the coronation of King Charles III, Queen Consort Camila So, he called in. Im not really sure why. Mike Whan CEO. He currently resides in Gladstone, N.J., with his wife Meg and has three adult sons: Austin, Wesley and Connor. And thats part of the beauty of any U.S. Open.. So there was no reason to fake it.. I think thats a fair critique. Maybe disappear, spend the . First, though, he wanted some time away from it all. Eight years later, in 2010, the job of LPGA commissioner came open when Carolyn Bivens resigned amid heavy tumult. 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. Ive told the USGA and everybody else, I realize that weve got to make sure the game is better a hundred years from now than it is today, he says. 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. They did enough homework on me to know I will be culturally different. Think about any other sport or any other business, if the last time you really looked at the farthest standard was 30-plus years ago. New decade of Mike Whan: 'Turning up volume' on women's empowerment We just need to be the helping hand, the boost, to help these young folks to keep playing and stay in the game. And then when it ended, we all went back home. But thats just who I am. U.S. Open 2022: USGA CEO Mike Whan responds on Twitter to complaints (Mike Ehrmann / Getty). I dont have that. . Can you say definitively that at some point relatively soon the women will get the same purse as the men in the U.S. Open? He sometimes makes it sound as if his personal success is accidental. I question if we need change for the average player. 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. It seems fitting then that the debut of Mike Whan as the new face of the USGA came at Olympic in late April during a media day touting the U.S. Womens Open. Hopefully theres something powerful in the middle, he said. Prior to the meeting, Whan told a recruiter who initially reached out to him about the USGA opening: Im gonna go shock and awe., I figured, if they asked questions, I was going answer them, and the way I was going to answer was probably really going to bother them, Whan says, remembering back. Old ghosts like Joe Dey. I can live with that as long as I feel like that while I was there, I advanced the game, I championed the game, I believe I left the game better for the next generation of players. 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. Amateur. 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. Mike Whan | Reynolds Lake Oconee Whan knew nothing about Ganne, the low am, and was charmed about everything he did learn about her. Lets know some more interesting facts about the commissioner Mike Whan. Mike Whan Age Wiki, Biography Salary and Net Worth: LPGA - CVVNEWS 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. But the technology that theyre inventing and bringing to the pros is going to trickle into the hands of the consumer. 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. What can the USGA do to grow the game? Third thing that Im personally really interested in looking at is creating a USA Development Team. The LPGAs Girls Golf program has been successful creating a large and diverse community of young golfers. Is that fair? He speaks a sort of unofficial golf conglomerate he calls Golf Inc. The current leaders of the industry PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, the equipment manufacturers, so on, so forth are more interconnected now than ever before. Back when he formally took over the job on July 1, replacing outgoing executive director/CEO Mike Davis, he received a box with seven white polos emblazoned with the USGA logo. getty images. 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? Weve been to this parade before, Whan says. Im not waiting to find out. It's complicated, 7 things we learned (and didn't learn) from the ball-rollback explainer. Are you all set?, And I said, Well, Ive got six more than I need . employee . Ive nicknamed half the board already. He often went off-script with reporters, apologizing to executives in the back of the room. (At this point during his video chat with Golfweek, Whan raised his Coke Zero bottle, a nod to the fuel behind his blistering pace.). Thats more important to a USGA person than any other counterpoint of view. The pub will be open at about 6 a.m., or as early as owner Mike Stone can get to the pub, for . We have to make sure that the experience people are having now will make them come back.. He says, Im not here to make the USGA a different entity. In some ways, thats true. Mike started working with LPGA as a commissioner in 2009 and is working to date. 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. This man, the one the USGA has entrusted with the whole damn game, hes moving fast and is full-throated.