Mollie Marcoux Samaan has resigned from her duties as LPGA commissioner. The tour announced the news just days after the conclusion of a historic 2024 season. Liz Moore, the LPGA’s Chief Legal and Technology Officer and Corporate Secretary, will assume the role of Interim Commissioner, according to a release from the tour.
“I thank Chairman John Veihmeyer and the rest of the LPGA Board for trusting me to serve as the ninth Commissioner of the LPGA,” said Marcoux Samaan in a statement. “In this role, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a remarkable community of athletes, teachers, partners, tournament operators, industry colleagues, media, fans, volunteers, and staff who share a deep commitment to growing the LPGA and using the organization’s unique platform to empower and advance women and girls. I am proud of the unprecedented growth the LPGA has enjoyed since I began my tenure. The strategy we have built for growth and impact along with the infrastructure we have added to capitalize 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.”
Marcoux Samaan, the tour’s ninth commissioner, was hired in May 2021 to replace the now-current USGA CEO Mike Whan. Her five-year contract ran until the summer of 2026. The former Princeton athletic director was the second woman to hold the post. Carolyn Bivens was ousted by the players in July 2009.
More: LPGA commissioners through the years
“On behalf of the LPGA Board, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mollie for her exceptional dedication and passion in advancing the Association’s reach and impact,” said LPGA Board Chair John B. Veihmeyer. “Since joining the LPGA in 2021, Mollie has been instrumental in solidifying our position as the global leader in women’s professional golf, realizing 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.”
Purses have risen substantially since 2021 – major championship purses alone have more than doubled – and the largest winner’s check in the history of the women’s game of $4 million was handed out at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship to Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul.
And yet, many struggled to understand or articulate Marcoux Samaan’s overall vision for the tour. As women’s sports experience an unprecedented amount of success, is the LPGA truly capitalizing on the momentum?
For all the headlines of 2024, with the dynamic one-two punch of Nelly Korda’s seven-win season and Lydia Ko’s fairy-tale run into the LPGA Hall of Fame, not much changed.
The LPGA’s 2025 schedule includes 33 official events – the same number as this year – with a total purse increase of $3.6 million from last season, though the tour says additional purse increases are expected to be announced.
The departure of Cognizant, a Fortune 100 company that was bullish on the LPGA from the start – signaled a red flag. The hope was that Cognizant’s leadership would sing the LPGA’s praises to other blue-chip companies and lead to organic growth.
Instead, they’re out after title-sponsoring four editions of the event, leaving the tour scrambling to financially back its own Founders Cup as the LPGA celebrates 75 years.
For a second year in a row, the LPGA will tee it up in World No. 1 Nelly Korda’s hometown of Bradenton, Florida, without a title sponsor.
In addition, the tour’s Toledo, Ohio, stop, which began in 1984, is being replaced by concurrent Epson Tour and Legends events at Highland Meadows.
The Solheim Cup transportation crisis only added to fuel to the fire. Heralded as the biggest Solheim Cup in history coming into the event, the tour clearly lacked the resources and knowledge needed to properly execute.
Nichols: Solheim Cup shuttle debacle shows LPGA not ready for prime time
Folks from all corners of the tour – from players to partners to media – began to have serious doubts.
When it came to critical topics like the tour’s Gender Policy and its dealings with Golf Saudi the potential of an LET merger – the tour lacked transparency and was slow to act.
To many, Marcoux Samaan’s indecisiveness became a liability.
There were wins, like fully subsidized health insurance for players and an increase in missed-cut money and travel stipends.
But an awful lot of money was being spent on increased staff and exposure, and questions about the return on those investments only grew louder. Last week in Naples, Marcoux Samaan revealed that total staff had increased by 35 percent, with the marketing and content department ballooning to 39 people.
“We’ve been betting on our athletes,” Marcoux Samaan said during her state of the tour address, “betting on our staff to be able to capitalize on this next wave of growth.”
Now, it will be left to someone else to ensure there’s a payoff.
