Name: Jason Mengel
Position: PGA Championship Dir
Where I’m from: Brighton, Mich.
Where I call home: Indian Land, S.C.
Focusing on right now: My most important role at this point, besides staying out of our team’s way, is to allow them to do their jobs, because they are great at it. Also, to ensure that all lines of communication remain open. We’re at the point in the planning process where decisions are getting made in the field, and I just want to make sure that each of our stakeholders is in lockstep with the final phases of planning.
Best advice: Everyone makes mistakes, both in life and in business. It’s how you react to them that makes the difference. It doesn’t cost anything to smile. It’s amazing the impact that you can have on someone just by having a sunny disposition. It can make all the difference. In the environments that we have around the PGA Championship where you’re on a hard deadline, a little bit of positive attitude in the midst of craziness can go a long way.
Execs I admire: One thing that’s really unique with my position is that you work hand in hand with people who are among the most successful people at what they do. That opportunity to learn from them is one of the big benefits of my position. A couple people that stand out are Kohler President & CEO DAVID KOHLER, and then in Charlotte, Quail Hollow President JOHNNY HARRIS and ’17 PGA Championship General Chair RALPH BREEDEN have all helped me learn a lot. Inside the world of golf, people I’ve admired and learned a lot from are RICK BAYLISS, JEFFREY KREAFLE and TOM DELOZIER. They are fantastic and among the best in their business.
Must have for a new hire: Around an event like this, you need an adaptable personality and level headiness. You look at the staff here, and during the summer, they’re collectively going to walk through a wall for us by working long hours and weekends in a stressful environment.
Book shelf: I have some catching up to do after the Championship and in the fall, I am really looking forward to reading JOHN FEINSTEIN’s “THE FIRST MAJOR.” It’s about the 2016 Ryder Cup, and having been there and been close to what was going on, it’s going to be a fascinating read.
Must-have music: One thing about our house is that there’s always music playing in the background. Typically, it’s not surprising that MoTown, '60s and '80s pop, JIMMY BUFFET or DARIUS RUCKER is what’s playing.
First thing in the morning: I’m sneaking out the door in the morning because I’m leaving between 5:00-6:00am and the rest of the house isn’t up at that point. When I get to the office I take the first half an hour to catch up on headlines and make sure that we’ve answered any emails from the night before.
Talking tech: I’m addicted to my iPhone. It does not leave my side throughout the day. Not long ago the idea of cellphones was something you looked off into the future, and now you have everything you need in your phone. You have your life in the palm of your hand, and it's fascinating. We were among the first major championships to allow mobile devices on the property. How that has evolved over the years is, we continue each and every Championship year to improve our Wi-Fi capabilities on-site so people can stay connected when they’re here. Our mobile app continues to evolve, and we have some exciting things to roll out this year.
Food for thought: When I’m not working the weekend, we usually have Sunday fun day in our house. That involves turning up some music and having a formal family dinner where we grill out steaks.
How I unwind: That window of opportunity is narrow this time of year, but I think it helps to have three kids under eight in the house because there’s plenty of silliness to go around. My wife and I at the end of the night after the kids go to bed have a glass of wine or two and catch up on the day. The end of evening catch-up is a must have.
Day in the life: With the long days, there is a lot going on here at Quail Hollow, so there’s enough work to fill the day. Usually I’ll take a cart ride around the property at about 7:00pm and see the day's progress and catch up with our operations team. I try to be home around 8:00 so I can give the kids a kiss before bed and then I unwind.
