The LPGA presents its new commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan - photo Getty Image

Mollie Marcoux Samaan inherits a circuit that went through the COVID-19 pandemic and emerged with a schedule of 34 tournaments with record endowments of around US $ 80 million.

The LPGA has said it will take the next few months to transition from her position at Princeton to that of the LPGA.

“My mission and the LPGA's mission are perfectly aligned: to provide women and girls with the opportunity to achieve their dreams through golf,” she said.

The first woman to lead the LPGA was Carolyn Bivens, hired in 2005 with a marketing plan to promote female players. But she alienated sponsors and the media at a time when the circuit was struggling to weather the recession. She was ousted in 2009 when the LPGA calendar numbered 24 tournaments, 10 of which were held outside of the United States.

Juli Inkster summed up the new LPGA commissioner pretty well. "He's a jock," she commented when asked to describe how and why Mollie Marcoux Samaan would fit in as the ninth commissioner of the LPGA, a position she accepted late Monday night.

Marcoux Samaan was a two-sport athlete at Princeton where she played ice hockey and soccer, and graduated in history in 1991. A four-year All-Ivy League player, Marcoux Samaan has also played golf since at a young age, learning the game with his brother at a class in his hometown of Ithaca, New York, where junior summer memberships were $ 45. " My parents thought she was the best babysitter they could imagine, so they dropped me off early and I played all day, ”she says. Her graduation thesis at Princeton was entitled "The Social Construction of Sport and Gender: The History of Women's Golf from 1895 to 1955". She recently reread the 100-page tome and joked, “This is not the most scholarly document.."

But Marcoux Samaan is much more than a passionate golf jock. She is also more than a wife and mother of three children, aged 12 to 18. She comes to the LPGA after being director of athletics for the Ford family at Princeton since 2014. At that time, Princeton has won 65 Ivy League championships, 14 more than the second highest school in the Ivy League.

« I just think it's about relationships. That's what I love, building relationships and finding out how people can work together to achieve each other's goal. " - Mollie Marcoux Samaan

In her first meeting with the media after being announced as commissioner, Marcoux Samaan said: “ I have been fortunate my entire career to be able to follow my passions and work with organizations that truly have values ​​that match mine, and when this potential opportunity was presented to me, I quickly realized it was right. the next perfect step in my evolution. »

In a written statement released Tuesday morning, Diane Gulyas, LPGA board chair and research committee chair, said: “ Our decision to select Mollie Marcoux Samaan as the next LPGA commissioner was the result of careful and deliberate research. treat. The position has attracted a diverse group of exceptional internal and external candidates, all passionate about the LPGA. We have concluded that Mollie is the right one to guide the next chapter of LPGA's growth, impact and success. Mollie understands the power of golf to change the lives of girls and women. As a values-driven leader, she is known for her skills in collaboration, managing complexity and building a winning team culture. In each role, she has had an exceptional record of performance in navigating change, creating lasting partnerships. "

Princeton Chairman Christopher Eisgruber said: “ Mollie has served Princeton with distinction for the past seven years. His tenure will be remembered both for the competitive success of the Princeton teams and, more importantly, for the contributions the university's athletic programs have made to the education and lives of our students. Mollie exemplifies the idea of ​​“education through athletics” in his life and leadership. She will be missed even though we are proud of her accomplishments as she moves on to this new opportunity. »

One of the first and most important questions for the new commissioner was about business. Leagues need leaders who can convince sponsors to write checks. On this front, Marcoux Samaan said: “ I think it's just a matter of relationships. That's what I love, building relationships and finding out how people can work together to achieve each other's goal. I have had many fundraising opportunities through my work at Princeton. We have a sponsorship program within the sports department, and at Chelsea Piers (where she was before returning to her alma mater) we have had great partnerships with many sponsors. Most importantly, in any type of relationship, it's just about making sure that you have good communication and that you find solutions that everyone will benefit from. "

« I think at the moment what could be better than sponsoring the L »PGA. We all work to provide the most diverse and inclusive environments within our businesses. To be able to use the LPGA as a platform and to engage in that capital, I think, is a huge opportunity ”

« If you're trying to build a business that wants to perform, just watch the Tour players. See how they have to perform day in and day out. The work that goes into it, the struggle that goes on to get that result at the end of the day is really hard to achieve, but the process they go through is remarkable. »

"I think about these partnerships - I can't wait to talk to the sponsors and talk about the LPGA value proposition because I can't think of a better value proposition."

As for her main priorities, the new Commissioner said: “The first most important thing is to learn and listen to absolutely everyone. The only way to form a strategy is to hear all the different stakeholders, somehow understand the landscape, and then try to simplify it into core values ​​and core strategy. This is what I love to do. Besides being super passionate about the sport, it's about defining a strategy for an organization, taking really complex ideas and condensing them into a clear strategy.

« So writing our strategic vision will sort of be the number one priority. And reflecting on how we are growing globally and how we are working with our partners around the world to develop golf and provide even more opportunities for our pros and women around the world. I can't wait to dive into this. "

Great feelings of openness. It also doesn't hurt that she can play a bit. Marcoux Samaan is a five-time club champion at the North Fork Country Club in Cutchogue, New York, and has appeared in several New York Women's Amateur Championships with Dottie Pepper.

« She of course won them all, ”Marcoux Samaan said of Pepper. “She was amazing and she was a few years older than me, and I remember idolizing her. I love seeing her every weekend now. "