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Mike Whan was born on 1965, February 10. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover Mike's . THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. When his family moved to Cincinnati during his junior year in high school, the first thing he did was find the local club and apply for a job. 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. We seem to be living in a time when people arecravingfairness, equality, equal opportunity, in golf and beyond it. They dont come in swinging. Ive said this before about Lexi, but youre not going to have days like that unless youre good enough to be there in the first place, Whan said. It can be frustrating, though, because at times the USGA hasnt done a good job telling its story . Carpeting that dates back to Willie Stargell. Whan talked to Mike Davis about it, wondering aloud if this was an insane idea? Longtime USGA CEO Mike Davis retired from the role in June. As one executive committee member put it on a recent call, Shame on us if we dont get this done, Francis noted. 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. 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. 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. 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 USGA has more than $400 million in assets available to management for general expenditures within one year. 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. There is a certain image evoked when one thinks of the executive director of the USGA. Michael (Mike) Whan joined the USGA as its chief executive officer (CEO) on July 1, 2021, becoming its eighth chief executive. Got a wish list? Likewise, Whan currently resides in Lake Mary, a city in Florida. As a former vice president of marketing at TaylorMade and vice president and general manager at the Wilson Sporting Goods Company, Whan brings instant credibility and can relate to equipment manufacturers and tour leaders from first-hand experience. Research is showing that new golfers arent as interested in playing 18 holes and that many want actual instruction, which is all vastly different from 1997, when, really, people were just getting clubs and getting out there. He says the USGA will do everything it can to create environments that retain all these newcomers. As we are dealing with a period of significant change, his ability to get our points across becomes critical.. Then I can route it to whatever department. I really like figuring out businesses, figuring out the right formula to really make them move their best. It would be a feeder for virtually everything we do, right? Whans focus on making the game more accessible for girls led to a significant expansion of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program to more than 90,000 at more than 500 sites through Spring 2021. Since April, hes been enveloped in lengthy talks with everyone from Monahan and Waugh, to Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley and R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, to manufacturers like Callaway and TaylorMade. 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. So Ill be at the U.S. Aw, no, no, I cant. 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. There will be no shortage of bridge-building. 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. Am I motivational to that team or currently a pain? As LPGA commissioner, one of your quiet goals was to have equal purses in the major championships for men and women. The USGA announced Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, it has hired Whan as its next CEO, making him the eighth top executive in its 127-year history. Mike Whan net worth. 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. But I will make sure we have a team good enough to choose. Everybody evolves not only to make the game better, but to make sure its great for the next 100 years. 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. For 11 years before joining the U.S.G.A. Whan knew nothing about Ganne, the low am, and was charmed about everything he did learn about her. He came to The Athletic from MLive Media Group, where he covered Michigan and Michigan State basketball. An American (Nelly Korda) is now No. Im in a hurry to catch up. As for the fact that the winner speaks three languages, ditto. I also know that we live in a world where stuff happens. Walking in, Mike Whan looks around and says, yep, thisll work. He keeps going , Weve got to find the right medium. I think theres a lot of people out there that need to know what the USGA has the opportunity to pursue. I dont know who should start a USA Developmental Team, but I know what the first two letters of the USGA are, so why not us?. Thats one of the reasons I want the job. Those 5,000 become golf nuts working in the equipment industry, building courses, working in golf shops. Its all in relationships. I said this to the board, and Ill say it to you: Every time Ive hit the send button in the past 12 years of my life, 30 percent of the people that received it hate me when they read it. 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. 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. If you need help from a membership perspective, then let us provide that. 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. 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 talking about a statewide, then regional, then a national team, and working with our state and regional partners to help these kids. I dont have that. The pub will be open at about 6 a.m., or as early as owner Mike Stone can get to the pub, for . 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? A company backed by star golfer Tiger Woods and star singer Justin Timberlake involved in design. 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. 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. Old ghosts like Joe Dey. All Rights Reserved. Mike Whan is married and has kids with his wife. . On this, no one is quite sure what to expect. Why dont we? Whan asks. 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. Mike went to Miami University for his education, but what majors he took is yet to be known.On his LinkedIn profile, he is connected with 500 people. Instead, Whan, at 44 years old, was a relative surprise pick. One of your pet peeves has always been that range finders are not allowed in competition. But Whan knows that for sports fans who only follow the mens game, this seems remarkable. During the interview process, who was selling who? After college, he worked as a newspaper reporter, first for the (Marthas) Vineyard Gazette, later for The Philadelphia Inquirer. It wasnt uncomfortable; it wasnt confrontational, but I was honest, and I was pretty sure my honesty and my approach was going to be mismatched enough that they would say, Yeah, we checked that box. But Stu [Francis] called me back and said, I really think that went well. By: Michael Bamberger June 7, 2021. Where are you playing your golf these days? He enjoyed a salary of $1,176,119 per year during his time at ALGA. I went from having zero white polos to having seven, Whan says. He did more than give us a voice; he held the megaphone to our lips, says LPGA veteran Christina Kim. I think COVID, and what we just lived through in 2020, makes that group feel more than ever, thank goodness theres a nest egg, because that one year couldve wiped out half. His upbringing in golf was spent sweating. Apart from working at LPGA, he has also worked for companies like Mission-Itech hockey and Taylormade-Adidas Golf Company. Stanford is going to have some team when she gets there, Whan said. You know me, Id rather be talking about that more than they used to because I think we should. 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. Her next shot was magical. Who is Mike Whan Wife? MORE: The 9 most intriguing stories from U.S. Open Final Qualifying. 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 . Ive nicknamed half the board already. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty). RANGE SESH: Whan, a 4-handicap, gets in a few swings during the U.S. Womens Open media day at The Olympic Club. To the fans, to the broadcasters, to the players. Whan acknowledged that the distance problem wont be solved in a team meeting in a board room at USGA headquarters. Hopefully theres something powerful in the middle, he said. 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. He owns American nationality, and his full name is Michael Whan. To Whans right is a leather-bound folder. Amateur. That technology will be what the average fan wants. He aint that. 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. We were building courses, not closing them. 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. 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. The first thing were going to invest in is to make sure were the best championships in the world, he said. Its not difficult to get Whan to talk about himself. Whans first day as CEO was still a few weeks away, but the announcement on Feb. 17 that he would take the job had already sent a bolt of lightning through an organization that dates to 1894, and the energy he radiated at Olympic was palpable. What are some venues you would like to take the U.S. Open to that have not been showcased recently or ever? Check out the prize money payouts at the 2023 JM Eagle LA Championship. The association last went outside the family for an executive director hire four decades ago when Harry Easterly left a VP post at a financial securities firm to take the job in 1980. He was saying, That was something. When asked about the rules, he said hell have a fast-forwarding system set up to send all rules questions directly to Thomas Pagel,senior managing director of governance. Mike Whan with his wife( Source : gettyimages) Whan is 56 years old and was born on February 10, 1965. I could probably sit and have that argument with [TaylorMade CEO] David Abeles and [Callaway CEO] Chip Brewer for a long time. 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. But the technology that theyre inventing and bringing to the pros is going to trickle into the hands of the consumer. I just got off the phone with a recruiter and I gave him your name, Whan replied. "Their reaction was the game-over point for me," said Whan. Nothing on the menu over eight bucks. Im still trying to understand why bifurcation scares everybody as much as it does. I dont have the education that I need on this topic. The USGA really does feel a responsibility to do the right thing for the game for the next hundred years. Mike Whan's salary per month and other career earnings are over $400,000 dollars annually. Im not really sure why. So, he called in. He was wrong. We all watched that parade and cheered. Thats who she is.. 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. I just started to put it through the PR filter, but the real answer is Im really proud of the relationships I have in the game. So there was no reason to fake it.. 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. That could prove useful because, for whatever reason, tour players these days love to criticize the USGA. 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. Mike Whan's net worth must be a fortune. Whan is planning to introduce a U.S. Developmental program for young women, first, then expand it to men. If youre there, theyll talk to you. @USGAMike would be Mike Whan, the CEO of the USGA. Why isnt that a thing? But why now? Hell dictate between TV contracts and corporate sponsorships what the U.S. Open looks like and feels like, and if it delves further into commercialization. Unfortunately, its just like the LPGA, Im sitting currently in a city that isnt mine and wont be home again for another few days. My wife said at dinner, Youre totally not listening to me, thats how I know you like your job., Then the LPGA commissioner, Mike Whan looks on from a golf cart during the final round of the KIA Classic at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in 2016 in Carlsbad, California. MORE: U.S. Open 101Everything you need to know about this year at Torrey. 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 is readying to succeed Mike Davis. It would be about catching up to what other countries are already doing. Were just talking about the best of the best. It doesnt get any more traditional than Oakmont and Merion. But Whans heart was always in sports, and he jumped at the chance to work for Wilson Sporting Goods, overseeing the golf-ball division, and later became an executive vice president at TaylorMade. And this job CEO of the USGA, a non-profit organization that serves as the governing body of golf in the United States and Mexico, generates roughly $165 million in annual revenue and oversees the mens and womens U.S. Weve been to this parade before, Whan says. The fact that those decisions will be made by a self-described misfit? July 13, 2021 3:15 pm ET. I question if we need change for the average player. 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. The reality is that were going to be a partner in virtually everything we do. Asked to summarize his biggest takeaway from the week, Whan said, Venues matter. Kristie Kistner / Contributed photo Show More Show . No widgets added. Hell no doubt reveal the rest of that list in one of his many upcoming conference calls with his new staff. You didnt get it done, but now youll have the juice to make it happen at the national championships. Hes in the early stages of his tenure as only the eighth USGA executive director since 1922. Maybe disappear, spend the year at the family lake house in Georgia. Carpeting that dates back to Willie Stargell. 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. At an LPGA event, Ill walk the driving range and know every last player, Whan said Sunday night in a phone interview. Whan, in a longer session with this reporter, was saying the same with a thing. 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. . What did your agenda look like on Day 1 at the helm? GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF. 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.. Thats our job to make sure we dont put the game in jeopardy. And that settles that. Thats something the old USGA might concern itself with. I know theres plenty of people that Ill work for now who probably will be scared to death of the term bifurcation. Whan said TaylorMade CEO Abeles was the first person to call and ask if he was thinking about the USGA job. They dont intentionally startle the horses to the point that they jump the fence and run amok. Other countries have great developmental programs. Theres zero doubt in my mind, after sitting in one board meeting, there is a clear feeling of responsibility to the game and making sure we can give back to that game with this money. It is difficult, though, to get him to acknowledge the weight he now carries. And then when it ended, we all went back home. 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. Its a big business! When, in conversation, you bring up this very obvious characterization to Whan, he sort of scoffs it away. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. 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? All people that I would spend time with if I retired.. Whan was at the end of a long week and about to start another one. I know Im right., They may be conceptually right, but there are pieces of it that are changing. Mike is effective at doing that. He left a year later for a post at TaylorMade as vice president of marketing. The people that have helped me grow the LPGA are my friends, Seth (Waugh), Keith (Pelley), Martin (Slumbers), Jay (Monahan), Suzy (Whaley). The LPGA made it official in January, announcing Whans departure. Fact is, though, his rise is anything but. 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. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/usga-ceo-mike-whan-distance-money-national-developmental-team/. That group is really what I consider my friends. Well, we cant sit and watch it this time. Whan is taking over and making these types of decisions at a potentially epochal time. He often went off-script with reporters, apologizing to executives in the back of the room. View Mike Whan's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. I know that because I lived through it at the LPGA without a similar nest egg. Im already working on em. What seemed like such an obvious next step to so many for the outgoing LPGA commissioner wasnt a slam-dunk to the man himself. . 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. My assistant [at the LPGA] always found it strange that Tuesday when I was at a tournament was blocked in my schedule. Third thing that Im personally really interested in looking at is creating a USA Development Team. I dont know many players on the mens tour. 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. When I buy my Ford truck, I dont believe theres a NASCAR engine under the hood. Its overwhelming the amount of golf business the USGA is involved in. Im not really sure its fundamentally different from a question you could ask other major owners. 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. He and his wife, Meg, were going to take 2021 off. He knew what it was like to sit on the other side of a table as a check writer and used that experience to grow the tour fromonly 24 tournaments and official prize money of $41.4 million to the record $76.45 million and 34 official events thats on the 2021 calendar. Shell get her name on that trophy before shes through, Whan said of Lexi Thompson. Hannah Green couldnt hold back the emotion after clinching her first LPGA title in nearly four years. This is a fundamental issue facing the USGA: Does it want to be an all-powerful ruling body or a partner with everybody else in the game? Take a look at the rules changes from a few years ago. Lots of grease. That would be a feeder for the Walker Cup or Curtis Cup? 2023 United States Golf Association. Hell be the yes or no on final decisions that determine where this game of ours will go. Not a country with a deep golf tradition, but you can imagine how that will change now, he said. Here was a course that had hosted a series of historic mens majors. Saso, of the Philippines, the winner, Whan had met once, briefly. Mike started his career as a professional golfer in 1988. Relax, people. Mike Whan Named USGA CEO; Will Take the Helm in Summer 2021 February 17, 2021 | LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. By Beth Major, USGA. 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 think at the USGA, again, whatever asterisks you need to put on everything I say Thats great, hes been there four days I think the USGA, and I said this to the executive committee, is golfs trusted partner.

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