NEW YORK | Mike Whan was appointed chief executive officer of the USGA last February to be an agent of change.
On the seventh day of the first full calendar year of his tenure he began to deliver on that promise.
A bright sunny January day on the West side of Manhattan saw Whan proudly announcing the U.S. Women’s Open will – beginning this June at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club – have a presenting sponsor. ProMedica, a healthcare provider based in Toledo, Ohio, has agreed to partner with the USGA to help elevate the Women’s Open to previously unforeseen heights for the next 10 years.
Mike Whan Photo: USGA
For a tradition-bound organization like the USGA, calling this a historic day understates the significance of the announcement. It has meaning well beyond just women’s professional golf, and it affirms that this no longer is your parents’ USGA.
ProMedica’s investment enables the USGA to raise the purse of the Women’s Open immediately to $10 million in 2022, almost double what it was last year and by $3 million ...