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LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan will step down from her role in January after one year in women’s pro golf.
The sudden departure of Marcoux Samaan comes on the eve of the 2024 season, which saw purses rise to a record level and The ascent of Nelly Korda towards global stars, but also moments of anxiety between the members and a logistical debacle at the Solheim Cup in September.
In the interim, Marcoux Samaan will be replaced by Liz Moore, the LPGA’s chief legal officer.
“I thank Chairman John Veihmeyer and the rest of the LPGA Board for trusting me to serve as the LPGA’s ninth Commissioner,” Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. “In this role, I have had the privilege of working alongside an incredible community of athletes, teachers, partners, tour operators, industry peers, media, fans, volunteers and staff who share a deep commitment to the growth of the LPGA and using the organization’s unique platform to empower and advance women and girls.
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“I am proud of the unprecedented growth the LPGA has enjoyed since I began my tenure. The strategy we’ve built for growth and impact, along with the infrastructure we’ve added to take advantage of the tremendous opportunity ahead of us will serve the LPGA well for decades to come. 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, bringing communities together and creating values through sports, especially women’s sports. .
Marcoux Samaan took over in May 2021 after serving as Princeton’s athletic director for nearly a decade. According to a press release from the LPGA, Marcoux Samaan “prioritized athlete well-being and performance by adding severance pay, domestic travel stipends, access to mental health and physical performance resources, and fully subsidized health care insurance , benefits previously unavailable to LPGA Athletes.”
According to Golf weekMarcoux Samaan’s contract ran through the 2026 season. She will retire before the 2025 season, which has a The total purse size is $131 milliona 90 percent increase from the year she took office.
Despite her successes at the helm of the organisation, Marcoux Samaan’s last few months have been marked by tough questions facing the women’s game.
While the popularity of women’s sports in general grew at a rapid pace in 2024, the LPGA saw no significant increase in television ratings. like Beth Ann Nichols reported on Golf weekfactions of the LPGA membership have been uncertain about Marcoux Samaan’s vision for the tournament. During the final week of the season, CME Group CEO Terry Duffy spoke openly about why his company sponsors the LPGA, adding that the tape-delayed third-round broadcast was “bulls-t” and that he was challenging Marcoux. Saman do something about it.
There was also the Solheim Cup transport debacle, which saw thousands of spectators waiting for hours at a bus stop to get into one of the biggest golf events on the calendar. Marcoux Samaan held an impromptu press conference after the affair, blaming “miscalculations” and insufficient planning for spectator transport.
“At the end of the day, I’m the leader of the organization and I have to own it,” she said. “We have a tour team that runs all of that, but I’m sitting here in front of you as the leader of the LPGA and I have to own it.”
Marcoux Samaan will officially leave on January 9, three weeks before the start of the 2025 season.
