Suzy Whaley (2019)

Suzy Whaley is a true pioneer in the game of golf. The current, and first ever female, president of the PGA of America, Whaley has made a longtime commitment to growing the game.

Whaley’s passion for golf developed early on at a time when women weren’t always welcome on the golf course. She enjoyed the game alongside her mother whenever an opportunity presented itself. She eventually went to play at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and received an offer for support to pursue a professional career.  She played on the LPGA tour for two seasons before turning her focus to teaching, and joined the PGA of America in 2001. She became head professional at Blue Fox in Avon, Conn. in 2002, and in that same year she won the Connecticut PGA Championship. Through that victory, she earned an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Greater Hartford Open in 2003, making her the first woman since Babe Zaharias in 1945 to qualify for a PGA TOUR event.

In addition to her playing, Whaley became involved on committees with the Connecticut Section PGA. Already a passionate instructor, her experiences further fueled her drive to grow the game and serve in a greater capacity. She became a board member at the section level, then was elected secretary of the PGA of America in 2014 and vice president in 2016 before taking post as president in 2018.

In her role as president, Whaley has remained devout to the organization’s mission to grow the game, especially when it comes to introducing opportunities to kids and women. Many of her actions since joining the national board have focused on these areas, from her work to develop programs that encourage diversity and improve instruction models to her involvement with the debut of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the continued development of PGA Junior League.

Currently, Whaley – a PGA Master Professional – is the Director of Golf at Suzy Whaley Golf based out of Cromwell, Conn., and is the PGA Director of Instruction at the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. She is driven by her passion and continues to give back to the game she loves.