[PHOTO: Michael Reaves]
Mollie Marcoux Samaan’s tumultuous time as LPGA Tour commissioner has come to an end.
The tour announced overnight, Australian time, that Marcoux Samaan is stepping down, effective January 9, 2025. Hired in May 2021 to replace Mike Whan, the former Princeton University athletic director had a contract that was supposed to run until mid-2026.
Marcoux Samaan will be replaced by an interim commissioner, Liz Moore, the LPGA’s current chief legal and technology officer. “The LPGA Board of Directors will work with an executive search firm to conduct a global search for the organisation’s next commissioner,” the tour said in its statement..
Marcoux Samaan’s departure comes at a time when the LPGA has seen significant growth in purses, while at the same time struggling to gain exposure in the larger sports landscape, particularly on television and streaming at a time when women’s sports are experiencing a boom in the Caitlin Clark era. Both privately among players and in some public snafus, Marcoux Samaan’s leadership style has been questioned, as was her seeming inability to articulate the LPGA’s future to the satisfaction of players, sponsors and fans.
Among the LPGA’s more recent high-profile setbacks, Fortune 100 company Cognizant stepped away from title sponsorship of the Founders Cup after only four years, and several other stops on the tour either don’t have title sponsors or are challenged to find new ones.
Also on Marcoux Samaan’s watch was this year’s transportation disaster at arguably the tour’s most high-profile event, the Solheim Cup. Due to not enough buses, some fans waited in line for hours to get to the course on the first day, leaving the stands mostly empty early in the day, when the players expect to be enthusiastically cheered. Speaking about the crisis a day later, Marcoux Samaan said, “At the end of the day, I’m the leader of the organisation and I have to own it.”
In the LPGA’s statement overnight, Marcoux Samaan thanked the LPGA and its board for the opportunity to serve, while providing no further comment on why she is leaving before her contract is over.
“I am proud of the unprecedented growth the LPGA has enjoyed since I began my tenure,” Marcoux Samaan said in the statement. “The strategy we have built for growth and impact along with the infrastructure we have added to capitalise on the tremendous opportunity ahead will serve the LPGA well in the coming decades. With the LPGA positioned for continued growth, it’s time for me to have more time to cheer on our three amazing children as they live their dreams while I continue to pursue my passion for building leaders, uniting communities and creating value through sports, particularly women’s sports.”
LPGA Board chair John B. Veihmeyer said in the statement, “Since joining the LPGA in 2021, Mollie has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the global leader in women’s professional golf, realising record growth in player earnings and fan engagement. Mollie has been a steadfast advocate for equity in the sport and has worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for women and girls through the game. I am confident that the LPGA is well-positioned for continued success as we build on the growth trajectory of the past three-and-a-half years of Mollie’s leadership. We deeply appreciate the lasting impact of Mollie’s many contributions.”
The LPGA concluded its season on November 24 with Jeeno Thitikul winning the CME Group Championship and its record $US4 million first prize. Its first event for 2025 is the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, beginning on January 30.
