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JAMESVILLE, N.Y. – The United States Golf Association (USGA) recently announced that Central New York native, Suzy Whaley, has been nominated to serve on the USGA Executive Committee. The distinguished PGA Professional and past NYSGA champion is serving a three-year term from 2026-2029.

Whaley, whose illustrious professional career began on the fairways of Syracuse, joins a volunteer group of 15 people who provide strategic and financial oversight to the USGA. Whaley will serve on the Handicap and U.S. National Development Program (USNDP) committees as well as on the USGA Foundation Board.

The 59-year-old’s journey to the pinnacle of golf leadership is defined by a commitment to breaking barriers and fostering an inclusive environment. She is best known globally for her time as the 41st President of the PGA of America (2018 to 2020), becoming the first woman ever elected to serve in that organization’s century-long history. She previously served as PGA Secretary and Vice President, navigating the organization through significant moments, including the relocation of its headquarters, and the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Under her guidance, the PGA launched crucial emergency relief funds and safety initiatives to ensure golf’s resilient return.

Suzy Whaley’s New York Roots

While Whaley’s professional achievements have taken her across the globe, her golf DNA is unmistakably rooted in Central New York. She first picked up a golf club at the age of 9 as a junior member at Cavalry Club. During her high school years at Jamesville-DeWitt, she played out of Onondaga Golf & Country Club.

Known as Suzy McGuire back in those days, she captured the 1984 NYS Girls’ Junior Championship at Rome’s Teugega Country Club, 1 up, over Lancaster’s Marlene Brodzik.

Earlier that summer, she also captured the Syracuse Women’s District Golf title.

Although she’s long resided in Florida, her ties to the region remain strong. Whaley is a 2016 inductee into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame, and more recently, a 2025 inductee into the Syracuse District Golf Association Hall of Fame, two distinct honors that recognizes her lasting impact on her hometown community.

Before her rise in governance, Whaley was a distinguished competitor and instructor. After playing collegiate golf at University of North Carolina, she was on the LPGA Tour in 1990 and 1993. Her name became widely recognized in 2003 when she qualified for the Greater Hartford Open (now the Travelers), becoming the first woman since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 to compete in a PGA Tour event. She earned her spot by winning the 2002 Connecticut PGA Section Championship, beating an entire field of male PGA Professionals.

She is also a highly respected teacher, having been named one of GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America and a Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor.s She has dedicated her career to mentoring thousands of players, with a particular focus on junior golf development through her academy, Suzy Whaley Golf.