Elmsford, NY (April 29, 2026) – Former longtime LPGA Commissioner and current USGA CEO Mike Whan has been selected by the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s Board of Directors to receive the 2026 Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award. The award will be presented at its 73rd annual National Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 6th at Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell, NJ. Mr. Whan joins a distinguished lineup of MGWA honorees, including previously announced 2026 Gold Tee winner Judy Rankin. Other award winners will be named shortly.
Named in memory of the noted artist, philanthropist, and past president of the Metropolitan Golf Association and its Caddie Scholarship Fund, the Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals as well as organizations for their contributions and service to golf, and for inspiring others who love this great game The list of previous recipients of The Dillon DSA includes last year’s winner, Sean McManus, as well as Seth Waugh, Gil Hanse, Mike Davis, Renee Powell, Mary Bea Porter King, David Fay, Tom Watson, The PGA of America, LPGA, and the USGA, among others.
“We are delighted to present Mike Whan with this year’s Paul Dillon Distinguished Service Award,” MGWA President Hank Gola said. “Mike has been dedicated to our great game since he was young, advancing its growth while at the LPGA and now at the USGA. He is truly exemplary of what this long-standing award entails. His service to golf would have made Paul Dillon very proud.”
Mike Whan was born in Naperville, Illinois and began his love affair with golf as a youngster, when he rode his bike to play the local public course. As a teenager, he became a groundskeeper at ColdStream Country Club in Cincinnati, waking up at 5:30 am to do his job in exchange for free golf.
After graduating from Miami University of Ohio, Whan embarked on a business career at Procter & Gamble, rising to the position of Director of Marketing for oral care. He then combined his love for sports with his business acumen, joining the Wilson Sporting Goods Company as VP/GM of the golf ball and glove business, as well as overseeing marketing, manufacturing and the Research & Development division. From there, he joined TaylorMade Golf as their VP of Marketing and rose to the position of EVP/GM-North America for TaylorMade-addidas Golf.
Following stints at Britesmile, Inc. and Mission Hockey (which became Mission-Itech Hockey after acquiring Itech Sports under his leadership), Whan became the eighth Commissioner of the LPGA, one of the world’s most successful women’s sports organizations. Inside the walls of the LPGA, he fostered a culture of teamwork, eliminating assigned parking spots (“if you’re on a team, everyone is equal”), giving nicknames to co-workers and making meetings fun. Outside the office, his creativity and leadership resulted in more tournaments, significantly larger audiences for women’s golf, greater TV coverage, and higher tournament purses. He also oversaw a substantial expansion of the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program, which makes golf more accessible for girls.
Whan transitioned to the USGA as their CEO in July of 2021, becoming a leading voice in shaping the way golf is played worldwide. In his role, he oversees all the departments that fulfill the USGA’s mission to grow and sustain the game of golf, including setting the Rules, running the US Open and 15 other National Championships, creating and managing long-term initiatives, managing relationships with the players, sponsors, media, courses, etc., and perhaps most importantly, making the game he loves more accessible to everyone.
Formed in 1952, the MGWA has celebrated the game of golf and promoted golf journalism since its inception. Its signature event, the MGWA National Awards Dinner, has been one of the highlights on the golf calendar since its very first Dinner was held at Toots Shor’s Restaurant in January,1953. Over the decades, the Dinner has honored – and been attended by – some of the greatest names in the sport: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, JoAnne Carner, Gary Player, Billy Casper, Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson and Annika Sorenstam, to name just a few. This highly anticipated event is supported by golf’s leading organizations and corporate supporters, Met Area clubs and club leaders, as well as local and national golf media. Through the Dinner and other events, the MGWA has had a significant philanthropic impact in the Metropolitan New York area, raising millions of dollars for local Caddie Scholarship programs, the MGA Foundation, and the Dave Marr Journalism Scholarship.
Click here to purchase tickets to the Dinner. For more information, view this one-minute video or contact Robin Sauerhaft, MGWA Executive Administrator, at: rsauerhaft@mgagolf.org