New USGA CEO Mike Whan admitted the long transition before he officially starts in the role this summer “won’t be easy” for him after helping the LPGA find its next commissioner. “But it's the right thing to do for both organizations,” Whan said. “I'm proud that both the LPGA gave me the opportunity to pursue this and that (the USGA) created an opportunity that was willing to wait for me.” USGA President Stu Francis said the organization was looking for someone with strong golf acumen, leadership, business experience and understanding of the equipment industry in its search to replace outgoing CEO Mike Davis. Francis: “We took a lot of input. We had much inbound interest as well as internal interest and we did a very thorough search.”
Whan said after being offered the job, he asked for a couple days to make sure he was the right fit. He called golf power brokers like PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, European Tour CEO Keith Pelley, TaylorMade President & CEO David Abeles and R&A CEO Martin Slumbers. “Their reaction to knowing me and knowing the job made me comfortable in taking the job because I knew that I wasn't culturally exactly what they had (in mind). Mike Davis and I, we’ll be friends the rest of our lives, but nobody will confuse the two of us as the same guy.” Whan said the positive reaction of Monahan and others "made me excited about taking it," and it was the "final push that I needed."
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Whan said the ongoing distance debate in golf will present a challenge for him and the USGA. “I'm definitely going to come in with a mindset of, innovation and excitement has to be part of our future,” he said. “And at the same time, we've got to protect the game long-term.” He added, “I'm certainly not going to be the USGA CEO who throws a blanket over R&D and puts these handcuffs on manufacturing.” Whan: “As soon as we establish new standards ... a thousand engineers will wake up the next morning and start figuring out how to push the envelope.”
