USGA: Chief Commercial Officer Out On Day One Of The Mike Whan Era

Mike Whan suggested he’ll have a better feel for the USGA after 100 days on the job.

So it’s not saying much for Navin Singh that his time as Chief Commercial Officer ended before the new CEO knew where to find the Coke machine.

Golfweek staff penned the news first:

The USGA also confirmed to Golfweek that Chief Commercial Officer Navin Singh has left the organization to pursue other professional opportunities. Singh was responsible for creating, directing and implementing the USGA’s commercial strategy, which included the broadcast production of USGA championships as well as the organization’s digital media rights portfolio and its digital media products.

Singh joined the USGA in 2016.

Given Singh’s willingness to leverage the USGA’s business with Golfweek Custom Publishing to complain about stories he didn’t like (including some of mine), it was probably wise no one at Golfweek put a name on this story should Singh pop up in another golf job. And given the propensity of golf organizations to go to the been-there-done-that “talent” well, he’ll probably land somewhere. With a raise.

But as I’ve written in recent Quadrilaterals here and here, the U.S. Open’s over-commercialization grew embarrassing in recent years. Under Singh’s watch we got Lexus courtesy cars in play and dreadful digital media products like this year’s U.S. Open apps. And with the move back to NBC and Golf Channel (where Singh worked), the USGA got railroaded into being part of Peacock rollout to the inconvenience of viewers, all while flooding the broadcasts with USGA partner messaging. Other than that…