If you’ve set foot on a golf course over the past two years, you’ve likely noticed the obvious: The game is booming. That includes women, too, but the momentum is apparent in another realm: leadership roles. As you’ll see in this package — in which we’ll feature eight women in the game — many prestigious jobs in the sport are now occupied by females. From holding down national, front-facing gigs to excelling behind the scenes at golf’s biggest equipment companies, women are making their mark in fields traditionally dominated by men. At GOLF, we celebrate the essential role these women play in making the game better, and more inclusive, for all of us.
***
ICYMI: Amanda Renner, CBS Sports Broadcaster
ICYMI: Michelle Penney, Expert Engineer, Product Development, Metalwoods, TaylorMade Golf
ICYMI: Angela Moser, Golf Course Architect and Shaper
ICYMI: Megan LaMothe, Founder & CEO, Foray Golf
ICYMI: Rose Fielder, Director of Engineering Operations, Ping
On the tee: Suzy Whaley, Honorary President, PGA of America
When it comes to female trailblazers in golf, it’s hard to find a woman with more firsts than Suzy Whaley. In 2003, she became the first woman in 58 years to qualify for a PGA Tour event. She was the first woman ever to serve as an officer in the PGA of America, and, in 2018, Whaley was elected president of the organization, making her, again, the first woman ever to hold the office.
Meet Nelly Korda, the face of American women’s golf
In March, Whaley announced that she’d be assuming the position of president of Golf Nation, an entertainment and e-commerce platform for golf enthusiasts that will showcase the game via a variety of shows available on mobile, desktop, Apple TV, Hulu and Roku.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” she says. “We’re going to showcase golf in a way that invites everybody to the game.”
Whaley will have her own content channel on the platform, even while keeping her day job as director of instruction for the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
How does she do it all? “Priorities,” she says. “A long time ago I decided I wasn’t going to hold myself to this unattainable standard of getting everything done every single day. Now, I just try to stay fully present in whatever I’m doing.”