The PGA of America, a separate entity from the PGA Tour, is an organization for club professionals with more than 31,000 members
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The PGA of America has tapped former president Derek Sprague as its new CEO.
Sprague becomes the first person to return to the Frisco-based organization after a prior stint as president and CEO, according to a Dec. 20 announcement. He previously was PGA of America’s 39th president from 2014 to 2016.
As CEO, he succeeds Seth Waugh, a former investment banker whose career included a stint as CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas.
Waugh led PGA of America from August 2018 to June 2024. During his tenure, PGA of America experienced a sharp boost in golf participation and PGA membership and moved its headquarters from Florida to its current 106,621-square-foot complex in Collin County, north of Dallas.
The PGA of America, a separate entity from the PGA Tour, is an organization for club professionals with more than 31,000 members. The organization owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women and seniors, and the Ryder Cup.
Waugh’s contract was up for renewal and he decided not to renew , ESPN reported. He stayed on with PGA of America in a senior advisory role and plans to be part of the Ryder Cup next year at Bethpage Black, according to ESPN.
Kerry Haigh, the chief championships officer and a key executive at PGA of America since 1989, led the organization on an interim basis after Waugh’s contract expired.
Sprague is the first club professional chosen to lead the PGA of America in nearly 20 years. The native of Malone, New York, turned professional in 1989, beginning his career at his hometown Malone Golf Club. He became a PGA of America member in 1993.
PGA of American President Don Rea Jr. described Sprague as “the consummate PGA of America Golf Professional.”
“To have a leader at the helm who knows every detail of the Association and what it means to be a PGA of America Member will enable our Association to succeed far into the future,” Rea said in a statement.
Sprague spent more than 25 years at Malone Golf Club as general manager and director of golf and later worked at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. Most recently, Sprague has worked as general manager of TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, since 2018.
In a statement, Sprague said he looks forward to elevating the golf profession while “ensuring the health” of the association. Though he did not specifically mention either entity by name, Sprague appeared to allude to the potential merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf which remains a work in progress and could have a massive impact on the future of the sport.
“Throughout my career I have made it a priority to bring people together around a common cause,” Sprague said. “At a time of profound change in golf, there is also great opportunity for our Association and our Members.”
Under Sprague’s leadership as president of PGA of America, the organization helped grow the sport of golf through player development and youth programs, such as PGA Jr. League and Drive, Chip & Putt. In addition, Sprague co-chaired the Ryder Cup Task Force and was a member of the PGA board of directors from 2007 to 2010, as well as serving in a number of other leadership roles.
Sprague plans to relocate to North Texas with his wife, Jennifer.