The LPGA, based in 1950, didn’t rent its first commissioner till 1975. Babe Zaharias’ enterprise supervisor, Fred Corcoran, was the event supervisor of the newly-formed tour 75 years in the past, and Patty Berg was the primary president. But it surely wasn’t till Ray Volpe, within the mid-70s, insisted on having the title of “commissioner” and answering to a board of administrators that the present system was put into place.
Mollie Marcoux Samaan was named the ninth commissioner in Might 2021. The previous Princeton athletic director introduced she was stepping down on Dec. 2, 2024.
Right here’s a have a look at the historical past of all 9 LPGA commissioners:
LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan speaks with the media throughout a roundtable in the course of the second spherical of the 2022 CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Membership in Naples, Florida. (Photograph: Michael Reaves/Getty Photos)
The LPGA’s second feminine commissioner held the submit for simply over simply over three years.
NAPLES, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 22: LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan addresses the media in the course of the State of the LPGA speak in the course of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Membership on November 22, 2019 in Naples, Florida. (Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Photos)
The present USGA CEO had the longest run of any LPGA commissioner. He got here in and saved the tour from utter collapse, taking the LPGA again to its “act like a founder” roots. Whan restored confidence with checkwriters and rebuilt participant belief.
LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens speaks with the media previous to the beginning of the ADT Championship on the Trump Worldwide Golf Membership on November 19, 2008 in West Palm Seashore, Florida. (Photograph by Scott Halleran/Getty Photos)
The LPGA’s first feminine commissioner was pushed out by the gamers after dropping a lot of occasions. Bivens struggled with relationships in all features of the job.
Ty Votaw, LPGA Commissioner poses with 2004 LPGA Participant-of-the-Yr Annika Sorenstam of Sweden on the Rolex LPGA Participant-of-ther-Yr reception on the Mar-a-Lago Membership on November 20, 2004 in Palm Seashore, Florida. (Photograph by Scott Halleran/Getty Photos)
Votaw first joined the LPGA because the tour’s basic counsel in 1991 and was promoted a 12 months later as LPGA commissioner Charles Mechem’s particular assistant. After serving as vice chairman of enterprise affairs, he turned commissioner in 1999. He left the tour in 2005 to work for the PGA Tour, the place he performed a key function in golf’s reinstatement as an Olympic sport.
LPGA Commissioner Jim Ritts watches the Chrsyler-Plymouth Match of Champions on the Grand Cypress Golf Course in Florida. Necessary Credit score: Andy Lyons /AllsportA
Charlie Mechem speaks throughout a Celebration of Arnold Palmer at Saint Vincent School on October 4, 2016 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Palmer, a golf legend who received 62 PGA tour titles over the course of his profession, died on September 25, 2016 at age 87. (Photograph by Hunter Martin/Getty Photos)
A former chairman and chief government officer of Taft Broadcasting and Nice American Broadcasting Firm from 1967 to 1990, Mechem got here in with in depth connections and media perception. Backed by good good friend Jack Nicklaus, the Yale Legislation Faculty grad and former Military captain was additionally a private enterprise advisor to the late Arnold Palmer.
LPGA commissioner Invoice Blue
Blue and the tour parted methods in the course of the 1990 season after a lower than two-year stint. The previous advertising and marketing government had little expertise in golf and struggled with key relationships.
Laupheimer, former president of the Pennsylvania Golf Affiliation, was government director of administration on the USGA earlier than coming to the LPGA. Laupheimer relocated the tour’s headquarters to Sugar Land, Texas, in 1982. Purses escalated from $6.4 million to almost $14 million throughout his tenure.
(Unique Caption) New York: Ray Volpe, commissioner of the Women Skilled Golf Affiliation, with Carol Mann, president of LPGA.
Volpe was employed in 1975 because the tour’s first commissioner and insisted on the creation of a board of trustees and participant council. The tour, coming off of a pricey authorized battle in opposition to Jane Blalock and almost broke, benefitted drastically from Volpe’s connections within the advertising and marketing world. He set the stage for Nancy Lopez to shine.
