March 2021 Ohio Golf Journal

Can Michael Whan Create Change in the USGA? By Ed Travis Michael Whan re- cently announced he would resign as Commissioner of the LPGA Tour and last month it was an- nounced he would replace Mike Davis as CEO of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 2022. The USGA is facing issues that will affect the game for years to come. This change is seen as an opportunity for the betterment of golf at every level. Whan’s resignation from the LPGA Tour ended the longest and most successful tenure of any commissioner in the Tour’s 70-year history. In 2010, under previous LPGA Commissioner, Carolyn Bivens, the ladies tour schedule was down to just 24 events. Prize money had shrunk and relationships, with players and sponsors alike, were tense. Whan leaves the LPGA in much better shape than when he arrived. The 2021 schedule includes 34 events and prize money has increased by over 80 percent to a whopping $76 million. The USGA’s relationship with the average golfer is at a crossroads. Many believe the ruling body has lost touch with the golfing public. The USGA’s attempt to modernize the Rules of Golf, has been received with mixed reviews. One significant barometer of the recreational player’s attitude of the USGA is negative. Only 2.3 million golfers have registered for the new Golf Handicap Information Network (GHIN), which is less than 10 percent of the approximately 24.3 million U.S. players that have a USGA handicap. The game’s elite, those on the PGA Tour, have been critical of the USGA in several areas. To improve relations between the tour and the USGA, former tour player Jason Gore, was hired as a liaison. The hot issues remain, however. Concerns linger about how the U.S. Open is conducted, rules changes and interpretations, plus the 600-pound gorilla in the room, equipment and distance regulations. The USGA has taken the position that golf professionals hit the ball too far, thus making older courses obsolete. In an effort to maintain scoring at historical levels many top-level venues require lengthening to keep pace.The USGA, in conjunction with The R&A, commissioned a Distance Insights Project to study the distance issue, undoubtedly with the intent to restrict drivers and limit golf ball performance. Also not a favorite topic of golf equipment manufacturers. Though the final report has yet to be issued, there is little doubt of the outcome as the current CEO Davis has gone on record saying that before his term of office was over, he would see the ball rolled back. This seems to be the basic issue between average golfers and the USGA. The golf industry seems to be Michael Whan Mike Davis Ohio Golf Journal