BREAKING: Who is the Next LPGA Commish? It's Michael Whan.

Sports Business Journal's Jon Show - all over everything golf business - tweeted that his sources indicate an announcement on the LPGA Tour commissioner position tonight or tomorrow.  

Well, if it's not Pete Bevacqua, then what is the LPGA's loss is the USGA's retained gain.  And I was wrong in the ole Prognosticator.

But, if it's not Bevacqua, who is it?  The only person whose name that has been dropped in recent weeks for putting their name INTO the hat - other than me - has been Jonathan Ward (who I always want to refer to as Wells).  As Golf 365 reports, Ward is a senior adviser at Kohlberg and Company, LLC, a private equity firm.

Now, take a look at the Kohlberg & Company's "professionals" page on their website.  No sign of Ward's name.  He joined them three months ago.  So, either the website is (a) out of date or (b) really up to date. 

The other alternative is that Ward being a "senior adviser" may not get on that professionals page.  Kind of like a consultant.  But the guy was CEO of ServiceMaster and is a director at Sara Lee, so who wouldn't want to advertise that?

Something to think about...

Then again, could it be Donna Orender after all?  Leaving the sinking ship that is the WNBA?

Or has everyone whiffed?

UPDATE 1: The LPGA has announced that the new commish will be revealed at 9am tomorrow morning at Madison Square Garden (and you're invited to meet them).

UPDATE 2: Talking to several sources, not only were they surprised that the decision had been made already, but were equally surprised that it's not Pete Bevacqua.

UPDATE 3 (9:55pm ET): Golf Observer actually came out with the confirmation around 9pm.  Sorry, Sal!  We gotta get you on Twitter!  And Golfweek is the winner with the first full article on the hire.  The new commissioner is Michael Whan.  From Beth Ann Baldry:

Michael Whan will be introduced Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York as LPGA commissioner, a source told Golfweek. Whan was most recently president and CEO of Mission-ITECH Hockey. The 1987 graduate of Miami University served as executive vice president/general manager of North America TaylorMade Adidas Golf from 1995 to 2000.

UPDATE 4 (10:23pm ET): The story is continuing to come together.  I dropped a line to the LPGA for comment and did not get anything confirming what is now being widely reported.  Golf Channel's Randall Mell is saying that the LPGA Board of Directors ok'd the hire on Tuesday night.  Ron Sirak is saying that Whan was offered the job on Friday and took the job on Monday, and that players were briefed today.  

UPDATE 5 (11:32am ET): Sal Johnson of Golf Observer has a really good post looking inside how the news of Whan's hiring was revealed and the way that the LPGA Tour sought to make the announcement.  He shares his optimism for Whan, his energy and ideas that he brings to a Tour that sorely needs them.  I share that same optimism.  The coincidental nature and timing of Whan's prior life in hockey and golf and where Mission-ITECH stood could be just the break that the LPGA Tour needed.