Michael Whan has not exactly 'hit the ground running'

When Michael Whan's name first popped up in October as a candidate for the position of LPGA Commissioner, numerous articles intimated his stay as president of Mission-Itech Hockey was probably short lived regardless. Mission-Itech was purchased in September by Bauer’s Hockey and a new ownership group, consisting of Kohlberg & Company and Montreal businessman W. Graeme Roustan. Brand consolidation was the plan. Many Mission-Itech employees were offered separation packages. Whan's was probably in the mail.

The LPGA had just spent three agonizing months sifting through potential candidates. We will probably never know who might have been interested in the position, but was never considered, or, when contacted, who had zero interest in that job. Acting commissioner Marty Evans will stay on the rest of the year because Whan will not start until January. I have never hired a "commissioner" before, but I have hired many excellent six-figure managers and one of my important questions is, "When can you start"? I wanted a solid commitment and I wanted to take that person out of the job market. Starting in two and a half months was never an option.

In October, Dawn Hudson, chair of the LPGA board of directors, told Associate Press, "At this particular time, with the struggles that all sports have had and some of the controversy of the past year, we really need a commissioner who can hit the ground running,"

Michael Whan may hit the ground running, but he will not do it this year. I am very curious how he will perform. It is a lot easier to be viewed as doing well when your predecessor was the devil incarnate the press made her out to be this year. I bet he discovers she was not doing that bad a job. Unless, you believe every thing you read.