Ohio Golf Journal May 2020

He accepted a position with Wilson Sporting Goods serving as Vice-President and General Manager, before joining TaylorMade as Vice- President of Marketing in 1995. When the LPGA came calling in 2010, he was experienced in turning around struggling businesses and ready to lead the LPGA back to greener pastures. The LPGA struggled with several key issues. First, women athletes did not appeal to a broad audience. With a high percentage of events and players fromAsia, Americans did not identify with the players. Whan and his staff embraced these negatives and quickly turned them into positives. Under his leadership the LPGA Tour was touted as a ‘World Tour,’ extolling the benefits for young women to compete around the globe. Asian players were encouraged to learn English and players were expected to interact with fans on social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The players’ twitter handles were even put on the caddie’s backs during events. Most importantly, Whan’s marketing background taught him that fan engagement by the players would lead to a more ‘Fan Friendly’ experience. He expected the players to reach out, sign autographs, pose for pictures and interact with fans, especially young girls, who would be future fans and players. Today LPGA Tour players are the most approachable athletes on the planet and fans who attend tour events always come away impressed with the accessibility of the players.