Seth Waugh Is Stepping Aside After 6 Years Leading The PGA Of America

Seth Waugh is departing the PGA of America after six years as CEO, during which the organization experienced a significant increase in golf participation and membership and relocated its headquarters from Florida to a huge campus in Texas.

Seth Waugh | Athlon Image

Seth Waugh Is Stepping Aside After 6 Years Leading The PGA Of America

Waugh was CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas when he joined the PGA of America board as an independent director and was then appointed to head the 30,000-plus members in 2018.

Waugh’s contract was up for renewal on June 30, and he elected not to renew.

“It feels like the right time, personally and professionally,” Waugh told me. “We’ve accomplished a lot in the past six years. The game has never been in better condition. Participation is currently at an all-time high. It’s increasing in all the ways we expected.

“Women and people of color are the fastest growing demographics. We strive to make the game appear like the rest of the world, and the world will behave more like our game.

Waugh will remain with the PGA of America in a senior advisory role. He will attend the British Open and the Olympics in Paris, and he hopes to compete in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black next year.

The PGA of America announced that it has initiated a search for a CEO, including candidates from within and outside the association. Kerry Haigh, chief championships officer and key leader since 1989, will serve as temporary CEO but will not be a contender.

“We are grateful for Seth’s leadership and all that he accomplished for our members, our game, the business, and our people,” PGA of America President John Lindert stated. “He expertly guided us through extremely difficult circumstances and was always an excellent companion. We are fortunate to be able to rely on him for future advice and counsel.”

Waugh’s engagement in golf predates his tenure with the PGA of America. He was instrumental in bringing a PGA Tour event to the TPC Boston in 2003, with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan serving as the inaugural tournament director of the Deutsche Bank Championship, and he has been a significant voice in business and golf throughout.

Seth Waugh Is Stepping Aside After 6 Years Leading The PGA Of America

“Seth’s voice on important issues has been steady and stellar as the golf world has gone through unprecedented change during his tenure,” Masters chairman Fred Ridley said.

One of his primary priorities as CEO was to encourage the professionals who spend long hours teaching the game. This includes a deferred compensation retirement plan for PGA of America members.

“It was the first time in 110 years that someone figured it out. “I used my experience to help with that,” Waugh explained. “But our membership satisfaction is at an all-time high.”

He stated that the average professional wage has topped $100,000 for the first time, and membership has surpassed 30,000, setting another landmark.

Waugh has been hinting since April that he was nearing the end. He signed up for a four-year term as CEO, comparing it to a college or presidential term, believing that would be ample time to effect change. He committed to two more years in 2022 after golf weathered the COVID-19 pandemic with increased participation.

The age of those playing stood out the most to Waugh.

“We’re not declaring victory by any means, but the greatest statistic is 48% of all golfers are under the age of 35,” he told me. “That’s generational development; people aged 25 to 75 are playing, as opposed to 65 to 75. It’s such a drastic difference.

“You realize this generation wants to do things with purpose, and golf has purpose,” he told me. “You are a teacher and coach with a goal to improve people’s lives. The whole reason I took this position was that I felt I’d never have the opportunity to have a greater impact on more people’s lives.”

He has no immediate intentions following his board work at the Olympics.

Seth Waugh | Golf Magazine

Seth Waugh Is Stepping Aside After 6 Years Leading The PGA Of America

“I have often said that golf is one of the great engines of good on Earth,” according to him. “I am perhaps the most significant all-time beneficiary of that good, and I want to thank the membership, my colleagues, all of the various board members, past presidents, our extraordinary partners, my peers at all other golf bodies, and everyone who plays and loves our beautiful game for all of their support and friendship throughout this journey.

“What a gift that has been.”

SOURCE – (AP)