Seth Waugh is stepping down as CEO of the PGA of America.
The news comes Wednesday as Waugh announced that he chose not to renew his contract, which expires on June 30, and will shift into a senior advisory role with the organization.
“I am proud of all that we have accomplished for our more than 30,000 members and the game,” Waugh said. “I have enjoyed every moment serving alongside all of my colleagues, all the various officers and board members and getting to know so many of our dedicated members who are on the front line of the game that we love every day of the year. The day-to-day game has never been stronger, more beloved or better positioned for the future because of their passion and how we have all worked together to make millions of lives better through our remarkable sport.
“The goal from the start was to leave the room better than we found it and I believe that together we have done just that.”
Waugh was named CEO in August 2018 after spending the three previous years as an independent director on the PGA’s board of directors. Waugh’s accomplishments while CEO include negotiating the PGA’s 11-year media rights deals with CBS and ESPN, facilitating other partnerships with Rolex and T-Mobile, moving PGA headquarters to PGA Frisco, creating the first deferred compensation retirement plan for PGA members, leading the $100 million PGA REACH Foundation campaign to impact lives through golf, and helping raise over $35 million for PGA Places to Play, one of the organizations efforts toward inclusivity in the game.
During the pandemic, Waugh also helped establish a nearly $8 million emergency relief fund while being an integral part of pro golf’s return to competition in 2020, which included the PGA Championship being the first major contested post-shutdown.
“On behalf of the more than 30,000 PGA of America golf professionals, we are grateful for Seth’s leadership and for all that he accomplished for our members, our game, the business and our people,” said PGA of America President John Lindert. “He skillfully led us through incredibly challenging times and was always a great partner. We are fortunate to be able to call on him going forward for his always helpful advice and counsel.”
Kerry Haigh, the PGA’s chief championships officer, will serve as interim CEO while a national search for Waugh’s replacement is conducted. The PGA added, however, that Haigh would not be considered as permanent CEO.
“It’s a good time in my life to move on with my family. We have five children and there’s definitely something to that. But the reason from the PGA of America’s perspective is I’m proud of where we are. We’ve come an enormously long way,” Waugh added on Wednesday night’s “Golf Central.” "… I always had this goal to leave this room a little better than we found it, and together with our folks, the board, all 31,000 members, I feel like we’ve done that, that the game’s in better shape.”
