LPGA's Whan Signs "Long Term Contract" Without Knowing Length, State Of TV Rights

The LPGA Tour’s turnaround and success under Mike Whan can’t be questioned given the dumpster fire he inherited his predecessor, Carolyn Bivens.

Still, I found his admission of a contract extension at the CME Globe finale fascinating on two levels: he claims to not know the length of his deal and this lands before the PGA Tour has announced a new television deal. You may recall Whan has farmed out the LPGA Tour’s next TV contract to PGA Tour negotiators as part of their effort to lock things up from 2022 and beyond.

From GolfChannel.com’s Randall Mell, who had the news first:

“It’s a long-term contract,” Whan said. “I don’t even know how long it is. I really don’t.”

LPGA president Vicki Goetze-Ackerman confirmed there’s a new deal in place.

“It’s a long-term contract,” Goetze-Ackerman said. “That’s all you’re going to get anyone to tell you. He has a vision for the future, and he wants to stay. He’s been fantastic, taking us from a dismal place in 2010 to where we are now, with a vision of an even stronger future.”

As for his legacy, Whan noted this:

“Whenever my tenure is over, nobody is going to remember who started the Founders Cup or International Crown. They are going to remember that there are a heck of a lot more women playing golf. In the next 20 years, you will see what’s happening in junior golf programs today happening in women’s golf. I think that’s what I’ll be most proud of when I’m sitting on a rocking chair someday.”