Suzy Whaley Elected To District 1 Director Post By The PGA of America's Board of Directors Created by dustin on 9/27/2011 4:44:40 PM Suzy Whaley of Farmington, Conn., a PGA golf clinician at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., was elected as District 1 Director of the PGA of America Board of Directors. Whaley, the second woman ever to be elected to the PGA Board, was one of seven directors sworn in Saturday, Nov. 6, at The Association’s 94th Annual Meeting at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.
BOSTON – Suzy Whaley of Farmington, Conn., a PGA golf clinician at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., was elected as District 1 Director of the PGA of America Board of Directors. Whaley, the second woman ever to be elected to the PGA Board, was one of seven directors sworn in Saturday, Nov. 6, at The Association’s 94th Annual Meeting at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.
Whaley, 43, succeeds Derek Sprague of Malone, N.Y., as District 1director, serving the Connecticut, New England and Northeastern New York PGA Sections. Whaley becomes the fifth woman overall to serve on the PGA Board of Directors.
She joins the following incoming PGA District Directors: Mike Ahrnsbrak of Winchester, Va.; Stephen Cox of Bonita Springs, Fla.; Leo Di Gisi of Medford, N.J.; Gil Gusweiler of Loveland, Ohio; R. Michael Haywood of Tucson, Ariz., and independent director John Jacob of Aventura, Fla., who all will serve three-year terms.
The PGA Board of Directors is composed of the Association’s President, Vice President, Secretary, Honorary President and 17 Directors. The Directors include representatives from each of The PGA’s 14 Districts, two Independent Directors and a member of the PGA Tour. New District Directors are elected by their local PGA Sections.
Elected to PGA membership in 2001, Whaley follows Sue Fiscoe of Modesto, Calif., (2009) as the second woman elected to the PGA Board of Directors. A native of Cherry Hill, N.J., and who spent most of her youth in Syracuse, N.Y., Whaley was the New York State Junior Golf champion before pursuing her first love – skiing. Following a downhill ski accident at age 17, Whaley switched her focus to golf and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina. She graduated in 1989, turning professional that year and competed for two seasons on the LPGA Tour before starting a family.
In July 2003, Whaley became the first woman to qualify and participate in a PGA Tour event in 58 years, following the legendary Babe Zaharias. By her competing in the Greater Hartford Open, Whaley is the third woman ever to compete in a PGA Tour event. She earned the invitation by capturing the Connective PGA Section Championship, also a first by a female PGA Professional.
Through her competitive and teaching career, Whaley became a national spokesperson for women’s golf, including the promotion of American Express Women’s Golf Month.
“I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of The PGA of America, and I look forward to representing my district and working with my fellow district directors, The PGA of America staff, the officers, and our members to promote the game of golf,” said Whaley. “As an Association, we will continue to provide opportunities to improve our members’ skill-set, promote and market the benefits of utilizing and employing PGA Professionals at golf facilities, and stimulate interest for the game across all genders, race, and cultures.
“The 28,000 men and women of The PGA of America are dedicated to enhancing the golf industry and I will stand for them as a teacher, player, club professional, businesswoman, and proud promoter of our logo and all it represents.”
In 2010, Golf Digest listed Whaley one of the top five female teaching professionals. She was the 2008 LPGA Teacher of the Year in the Northeast Section; was named a top 50 teacher designation by Golf for Women magazine; and is a two-time (2004, ’07) Connecticut PGA Teacher of the Year and 2003 Section Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient.
Whaley is a member of the PGA National Instruction and National Diversity committees. In 2007, she completed a term on the Connecticut PGA Board of Directors.
Whaley is married to PGA Professional Bill Whaley, national director of golf operations for the TPC Network and general manager and PGA Director of Golf for TPC River Highlands. The Whaleys live in Farmington, Conn., and are parents of daughters Jennifer, 16, and Kelly, 13.
