Daytona Beach, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - The LPGA Tour announced that commissioner Michael Whan has signed a contract extension through 2020.
Whan has been the tour commissioner since 2010, and in that time the tour has grown from 23 events to 33, and the total purses have increased from roughly $40 million to over $60 million.
During his tenure, the amount of television coverage has doubled with the majority now live as opposed to mostly tape delayed.
"Recently, the LPGA Board finalized a new long-term employment extension with commissioner Michael Whan," Mike Trager, LPGA Board of Directors chair said in a statement.
"As most of you know, when commissioner Whan joined us in early 2010, we were struggling with an economic recession, lost sponsorships/tournaments, and underwhelming television coverage. Since 2010, growth of our organization has been nothing short of spectacular."
Among the new events Whan has helped add to the schedule were the International Crown, the Founders Cup and the renaming of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Also during his tenure, the tour has created the Race to the CME Globe and added events in the Bahamas, Hawaii and Australia.
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