USGA rience from a leadership standpoint , great business experience from a strategy standpoint , understands the equipment manufacturers well ,” says Francis , who was nominated for a three-year term in 2020 to lead the USGA Executive Committee . “ And that ’ s a spec that ’ s pretty difficult to find in one person combined with a high level of energy and just a person [ who ] is incredibly fun to work with .”
Equally important , Davis ’ successor needed to have an acuity for finance and how it relates to being in the nonprofit sector .
“ The level of interest in the role or a role in helping to lead the USGA is something that people find quite appealing ,” says Francis , before adding Whan was “ the perfect fit .”
In the meantime , Whan got in touch with industry juggernauts he considers friends . PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan , PGA European Tour CEO Keith Pelley , TaylorMade head David Abeles , R & A chief executive Martin Slumbers , and Davis all told him he ’ d be an exceptional fit .
“ I never thought of myself as a candidate , but kind of sensed that announcement in late January and early February ,” Whan says .
Francis admitted he had a few sleepless nights wondering if Whan would accept . In Whan , the USGA nabbed someone whose strength lies in enhancing partnerships and having an innate ability to recognize how the pieces strategically fit . One could make a case Whan was groomed to lead the USGA , judging by his halcyon days growing up in Naperville , Ohio . It was there he fell in love with the game — caddying , mowing greens and replacing hole locations at a local course . He thought then he would one day like to work within the industry .
THE PATH TO LEADERSHIP
A 1987 Miami University ( Ohio ) graduate , Whan set off on a diversified career that undoubtedly prepared him for the USGA .
He started at Procter & Gamble , rising to director of marketing , before delving into sports . In the mid-1990s , Whan became Wilson Sporting Goods Company ’ s president and general manager , overseeing the golf ball and glove business . He joined TaylorMade Golf Company as vice president in marketing and left as EVP / general manager of North America — with his business unit responsible for more than 70 percent of the company ’ s worldwide sales .
Prior to accepting the LPGA position , Whan served as president and CEO of Mission Hockey , having established brand relationships with the National Hockey
League . In 2010 he assumed the leadership role at the LPGA . He took on a floundering organization that was facing hardships . At the time , insiders acknowledged the hardscrabble business would need a Herculean effort to pull it out of the doldrums . Whan became its Hercules . In one decade , he transformed the LPGA into a respected organization . He helped grow the tournament schedule from 24 to 34 scheduled for 2021 and , consequently , saw purses increase from $ 40 million to $ 76 million . He also proved a pivotal presence working with the PGA Tour as both television broadcasting hours and revenues increased .
Admittedly close to his heart were several female initiatives that came to fruition . Whan became instrumental in putting together key USGA and R & A partnerships , with LPGA * USGA Girls Golf taking off like a skyrocket . Participation numbers mushroomed from 5,000 in 2010 to more than 90,000 this year .
That said , it ’ s not lost on Whan that he ’ ll be replacing a popular progressive leader in Davis , who put a positive paradigmatic imprint on the game . Where Davis excelled at course setup and trumpeting sustainability issues , as well as shepherding Rules of Golf modernization , Whan will be the first to admit his expertise lies elsewhere .
“ I like the anxiety of realizing that you ’ re never going to be the smartest guy in the room and I ’ m certainly going to get that at the USGA ,” Whan says . “ So , I ’ m going to have to learn a lot .”
Mike Davis with 2020 U . S . Women ' s Open champion A Lim Kim .
LPGA / USGA GROWTH NUMBERS UNDER WHAN
2010
24
EVENTS
$ 40
MILLION
5k
2021
Number of LPGA Tournament Events :
34
EVENTS
Tournament Purse Increase :
$ 76
MILLION
LPGA & USGA Girls Golf Participation :
90k
Davis , who sits on numerous boards with Whan , added : “ No one knows everything . I certainly don ’ t . To this day I still don ’ t know everything about the USGA . From a golf industry perspective , he ’ s got tremendous respect . ... And I think he understands that we ’ re about promoting the game , protecting the game , regulating the game and ultimately growing the game .
“ I think in Mike we ’ ve got a wonderful leader . We ’ ve got a big-idea person .
vsga . org M AY / J UNE 2021 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 27