Leagues and Governing Bodies
PGA to open NYC office
New sales office will house 10-12 execs in conjunction with move to Frisco, Texas
The PGA of America, already planning to move its headquarters from Florida to Frisco, Texas, now also plans to open a sales office in Manhattan.
The New York City sales office is expected to house between 10 and 12 employees at 27th Street and Park Avenue where they will spearhead the PGA of America’s corporate sales, sponsorship and media efforts. The organization would not disclose the size or exact address of the office as it finalizes the lease.
“Given the strength of our sales focus, we will have a place that is centrally located,” said Jeff Price, chief commercial officer for the PGA of America. “We’ll keep a sales team there. We will have a strong commercial presence.”
The PGA of America, which runs the PGA Championship and other high-profile events such as the Ryder Cup in the U.S., the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Senior PGA Championship, has been on a sales streak of late with recent new deals with Cadillac, AIG, Michelob Ultra and BMW, which signed on as a worldwide Ryder Cup partner.
Price, who leads much of the organization’s sales efforts, will split time between the New York office, the PGA of America’s current Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., headquarters and eventually the new Texas office when the PGA of America relocates in 2022. A 100,000-square-foot PGA of America headquarters and two golf courses will anchor a $500 million mixed-use development in Frisco.
The New York office is expected to open in March. Kevin Ring, PGA of America chief revenue officer, will be based out of the office and it eventually will house up to a dozen other executives.
The strategy to open the New York sales office comes under the direction of new PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh, who replaced Pete Bevacqua, who left in September to become president of NBC Sports Group.
Waugh has wasted little time leading critical moves for the organization. Just a few months into his tenure, the PGA of America has signed a new TV deal with ESPN and CBS, announced the relocation to Frisco and signed several new sponsorships.
