The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Whaley soon to become president of PGA of America
Nov. 9 should be a landmark day in the golf industry.
That is when Suzy Whaley is expected to become the first female president for the PGA of America. But she is not getting ahead of herself.
“It is still an election,” Whaley said.
Still, expect history to be made when the current vice president and current resident of Cromwell takes charge. Her role will change, becoming the face of the nationwide organization, but the directives don’t.
It’s still about growing the game of golf.
“And we are making great strides,” she said. “We have our challenges but we are making great stride getting people to the golf course. There are more women, junior golfers and minorities than ever playing the game. Are the numbers significant? We are proud of the progress, but we still have work to do.”
Whaley was elected to the PGA of America as secretary in 2014. She served two years in that position and is in year No. 2 as vice president. Whaley also finds time to teach at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.
It’s at TPC River Highlands where Whaley became a household name, the only female to compete in the 2003 Greater Hartford Open on the PGA Tour, an event she qualified for by winning the Connecticut PGA Championship the previous fall.
She’s had a variety of jobs in the industry since, but has always been about growing the game and impressing upon people the value and role the head pros at each course has.
“We want our PGA professionals to be the most valued person on the property,” Whaley said. “We want (course) owners operators and managers to understand the level of expertise they have and feel they are a prominent, tangible connection to the game of golf.”
Whaley said she will spend most of her time in state this summer, except for the travel to all of the PGA of America’s major events,, including the PGA Championship Aug. 9-12 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.
Assuming all goes well, Whaley will preside over the 104th PGA Annual Meeting at the Connecticut Convention Center, Oct. 25-30, 2020, just before her two-year term is up. This would be the first time the annual meeting is held in Connectocut and Whaley the first member of the Connecticut Section to preside over it.
It would make for a fitting end to six years of helping serve and grow the game across the country.
TWO ACES IN A ROUND
Greg Larocque of Old Lyme made a pair of aces in the same round Wednesday at the Goodwin park GC in Hartford.
And Larocque used the same club, an 8-iron, on both holes: the 134-yard seventh hole and the 137yard 15th hole.