PGA of America chief steps down in latest golf-leadership shake-up

Another governing-body leader is heading out the door. Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America, has stepped down as the head of one of the biggest organizations in golf.

Waugh, 65, served as the PGA of America chief for six years, but is not renewing his contract, which is set to end on June 30. Kerry Haigh, the chief championships officer, will step in as interim CEO, though a search for Waugh’s permanent replacement is already underway, according to a statement released by the PGA of America Wednesday evening. 

“I am proud of all that we have accomplished for our more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals and the game,” Waugh said in a press release. “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.”

Waugh’s time atop the organization saw the PGA’s premier championship, the PGA Championship, move from August to May, making way for the PGA Tour’s end-of-season playoffs to wrap up before the football season begins. He also played a significant role in getting pro golf’s schedule back up and running during the Covid pandemic. The PGA Championship was the first major conducted in 2020 after all of them had been postponed or canceled. 

Waugh’s exit comes during a period of great change at the top level of pro golf, particularly in the C-suite. Keith Pelley stepped down as DP World Tour CEO in early April, taking a job with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in his homeland of Canada. Martin Slumbers, head of the R&A, has already announced his plans to retire from that post at the end of this year.

Throughout the unrest of the last few years of pro golf, Waugh maintained a strong relationship with the PGA Tour and its leader, Jay Monahan. The two have worked closely together and forged a bond as the formation of LIV Golf was rocking the landscape of professional golf. Waugh didn’t shy away from critiquing LIV, calling the league structure “flawed” in 2022, and asserting in 2023 that “no matter how much money you have, at some point, burning it doesn’t feel very good. I don’t see they are accomplishing much.”

Waugh’s departure comes at the end of his contract, but also during an interesting time for the PGA of America. The next Ryder Cup, which the PGA of America predominantly owns and operates, is set to take place in 15 months at Bethpage Black, just outside New York City. That the 2025 edition is a U.S.-based Ryder Cup and so close to a global economic hub, the event is expected to be a mega-moneymaker for the organization. But Waugh and PGA of America executives are at least four months behind in naming the U.S. captain. 

Waugh had been holding conversations with Tiger Woods the last few months, both before the Masters and after, but Woods has not yet made up his mind on the captaincy. The 2023 Ryder Cup, played outside Rome in October, was won by Team Europe but will be remembered in part for angst surrounding reports about Patrick Cantlay’s not wearing a hat during play, an alleged protest against players not being paid directly for their involvement in the event.