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| Relationship With Gustafson Draws Comments |
The LPGA BOD met by conference call last week to discuss Commissioner Ty Votaw's "romantic involvement" with player Sophie Gustafson, and the board "decided unanimously that while it was 'an awkward situation,' it created no conflict of interest," according to Ron Sirak of GOLF WORLD BUSINESS. LPGA Chair Marguerite Sallee: "It is one of those matters that is certainly gray, but what matters is how it is handled, and I think Ty has behaved with grace and dignity." Sources, both among players and LPGA employees, said that it "is common knowledge they are involved." One source close to Votaw: "Ty and Sophie have been seeing each other for the past few months." Sirak noted Votaw's critics "used the situation to try to undermine him but also chose to do so from behind the protection of privacy." One LPGA exec said, "I don't feel good about what I'm hearing from players and from tournaments. They are not happy about [the relationship] and about other things." An LPGA player said, "I see [the relationship] as a contradiction. One of them needs to give up their job." Both Votaw and Gustafson declined comment (GOLF WORLD BUSINESS, 3/17). Former LPGA Commissioner Charlie Mechem, who currently sits on the BOD, said, "I regard this as a personal matter. I know that Ty is sensitive to a potential conflict of interest and is prepared to deal with this" (USA TODAY, 3/18).
