In a sudden move, the commissioner of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, has announced she will step down next month.
After serving in that role since May 2021, Marcoux Samaan will be replaced, on an interim basis, by the LPGA’s corporate secretary (and chief legal and technology officer) Liz Moore.
Marcoux Samaan will move aside effective January 9, with the Florida-based LPGA saying it will be working “with an executive search firm” on a global hunt for its next full-time commissioner. It utilized the services of Spencer Stuart, the executive search and leadership consulting firm, during the process that led to Marcoux Samaan's appointment.
Marcoux Samaan, the LPGA's ninth commissioner, commented on her departure: “I am proud of the unprecedented growth the LPGA has enjoyed since I began my tenure. The strategy we have built for growth and impact along with the infrastructure we have added to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity ahead will serve the LPGA well in the coming decades.”
During her time in charge, the LPGA’s overall prize fund increased by over 90%, while average earnings for the top 100 players increased to over $1 million, the tour has claimed.
John B. Veihmeyer, chair of the LPGA’s board, added: “Mollie has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the global leader in women’s professional golf, realizing record growth in player earnings and fan engagement.
“I am confident that the LPGA is well-positioned for continued success as we build on the growth trajectory of the past three and a half years of Mollie’s leadership.”
Marcoux Samaan previously worked as the athletic director at Princeton University in the US between 2014 and 2021, before replacing Mike Whan (now chief executive at the United States Golf Association) as LPGA commissioner.
This news was revealed days after the LPGA announced an extension of its major relationship with CME Group, the financial derivatives marketplace, through 2027.
CME has extended its contract as title sponsor of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, and of the season-long Race to the CME Globe points competition, through 2026.
