USGA Revamps Executive Committee Structure, Retires Women's Committee

The annual Executive Committee shuffle came with a new wrinkle: a shuffling of responsibilities within the USGA.

Gone is the Women’s Committee, two-year presidencies (now three) and in: more staff responsibility.

Of course, how this all addresses the distance issue, I have no idea.

Stu Francis Nominated as 66th USGA President 

The USGA will also reorganize its volunteer structure to enhance opportunity and volunteer experience

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Dec. 4, 2019) – J. Stuart Francis, of Hillsborough, Calif., has been nominated to serve as the 66th president of the United States Golf Association (USGA).

Additionally, Christopher Cupit of Johns Creek, Ga., and Courtney Myhrum of Pittsburgh, Pa., have been nominated to the 15-member Executive Committee, a volunteer group that provides strategic and financial oversight as the policy-making board of the Association.

“The USGA continues to benefit from having an exceptional group of candidates to choose from who reflect our mission and believe in our obligation to serve the game,” said Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA. “Led by Stu Francis, who brings his lifelong amateur competitive golf experience along with his over 40-year business career, each candidate brings a unique perspective and expertise that will make a lasting impact on the organization.” 

Francis has been a member of the USGA Executive Committee for five years and has served on the Compensation, Equipment Standards and Governance committees in addition to four years as chair of the Championship Committee. An accomplished amateur golfer, Francis has competed in three U.S. Amateur Championships, two NCAA Championships and three Canadian Amateur Championships. Francis earned his B.A. from Princeton University, where he was named First Team All-Ivy League and All-American as co-captain of the men’s golf team. Francis, who also earned an MBA from Stanford University, is currently a senior managing director for Evercore, a global investment banking advisory firm, where he leads the Silicon Valley technology practice. 

Executive Committee elections will take place at the USGA’s Annual Meeting on Feb. 29, 2020, in Pinehurst, N.C. Retiring from the Executive Committee will be Robert Kain, current president Mark Newell and general counsel Richard Shortz. Current members nominated to continue their service are Anthony Anderson, Michael Bailey, Stephen Beebe, Paul Brown, Thomas Barkin, Kendra Graham, Martha Lang, Fred Perpall, Deborah Platt Majoras, Nick Price, Sharon Ritchey and William Siart. 

Cupit was introduced to the USGA as a competitor in the 1986 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship and went on to compete in two U.S. Amateur and two U.S. Mid-Amateur championships. He joined the Mid-Amateur Championship Committee in 2006 and has served as a Rules official at 28 USGA championships. Cupit has also served the game through board roles with the Georgia State Golf Association, Atlanta Junior Golf Association and The Evergreen Society. Professionally, Cupit is the owner and general manager of Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Ga., a family-owned club that his father founded in 1973. 

Myhrum began her USGA volunteer experience at the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in 1998 and has gone on to serve at more than 50 championships. Myhrum was introduced to the game at 8 years old and began playing competitively after completing her two-sport collegiate career in field hockey and lacrosse at Denison University. Since then, she has competed in 14 USGA championships, including the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. She has served as a USGA Women’s Committee member since 2011, including as chair in 2019. Myhrum is currently the owner and president of Organized By Court, a consulting firm that offers custom solutions for individuals, families and small businesses to achieve greater productivity and efficiency. 

As part of a regular review to continue to enhance the effectiveness of the USGA governance structure, starting in 2020, Executive Committee member terms will increase from one year to three years, with a two-term limit. The president’s term will also increase to three years with a one-term limit.  Additionally, the elected secretary, treasurer and general counsel roles on the Executive Committee will be retired and those functions will be assumed internally by the organization’s staff leadership. 

The USGA is also strategically evolving its volunteer committee structure to improve efficiency, increase opportunity and enable greater diversity in assignments. Under this approach, volunteers will be able to better tailor their experience based on where, when and how they wish to serve. As part of the overall restructuring, the USGA Women’s Committee will also be retired in 2020. With the USGA’s evolution over the last decade resulting in many of the Women’s Committee’s duties being fully assumed by the executive management team and the Executive Committee, it was recognized that there is no longer a need for a separate committee. The USGA is grateful to and proud of the Women’s Committee for its important contributions over many years, which have significantly enhanced the development and health of women’s and girls’ golf and the overall game. Under the new volunteer structure, current members of the Women’s Committee will continue to play important volunteer roles both in supporting the women’s game and in contributing to the USGA in many other ways. The modifications reflect the results of a multi-year review of current practices and procedures that included extensive feedback from current volunteers. 

About the USGA             

The USGA is a non-profit organization that celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.