Diana Murphy Elected to Second Term as USGA President

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Diana M. Murphy of Sea Island, Ga., has been elected to serve a second one-year term as the 64th president of the United States Golf Association. The election took place at the Association’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Murphy will continue to lead the 15-member volunteer USGA Executive Committee, which provides strategic direction and oversight to the Association through its full-time staff, based in Liberty Corner, N.J. Officers and members of the committee were also elected at the Annual Meeting.

“Getting to work with so many of you during this past year has been a deeply rewarding experience,” said Murphy upon her election. “What I have observed is a community of golfers who are passionate about the game and who want it to be even better. 2017 will be a year of action for the USGA, and we look forward to working together with the community to continue to transform the game.”

In her Annual Meeting remarks, Murphy addressed the USGA’s strategic priorities for 2017 to celebrate, serve, honor and advance the game of golf. Along with conducting its 15 global championships, the USGA will work with The R&A on modernizing golf’s Rules and structuring a world handicapping system; share insights with international experts at the North American Golf Innovation Symposium; and engage more golfers through its work with state and regional golf associations and programs such as PLAY9 and Drive, Chip & Putt.

The full text of Murphy’s speech can be found here.

Murphy’s volunteer commitment to the USGA began in 1996 with a 12-year tenure on the USGA Membership Committee. She joined the Executive Committee in 2011, and chaired several committees, including the Championship, Commercial, Compensation, Finance and U.S. Senior Amateur Championship committees. She was elected treasurer in 2013 and vice president in 2014 and 2015.

Murphy, 60, is the managing director of Rocksolid Holdings, LLC, a private-equity firm. She serves as non-executive chairman of Landstar System Inc. and is a board member of CTS Corporation, both public companies. She is also a member of the executive committee of the College of Coastal Georgia,

Past positions include managing director of the Georgia Research Alliance Venture Fund, managing director of Chartwell Capital Management Company, a private-equity firm in Jacksonville, Fla., for 11 years, and senior vice president of The Baltimore Sun Company for 15 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and holds an advanced executive business degree from Northwestern University.

She has served on the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Georgia since 2006, spearheading the establishment of the Elizabeth F. Correll Teen Center in 2008, among other community service activities.

At the Annual Meeting, three current members of the Executive Committee were elected to serve as officers: Mark E. Newell, of McLean, Va., as president-elect, Sheila C. Johnson, of Middleburg, Va., as secretary, and George J. Still Jr., of Atherton, Calif., as treasurer.

Current members of the Executive Committee continuing their service are: J. Michael Bailey, of Sandy, Utah; G. Thomas Hough, of Atlanta, Ga.; J. Stuart Francis, of Burlingame, Calif.; Robert D. Kain, of La Quinta, Calif.; Martha Lang, of Shoal Creek, Ala.; Gregory B. Morrison, of Duluth, Ga.; Mark P. Reinemann, of Pinehurst, N.C.; and Clifford J. Shahbaz, of Portland, Ore.

Three new members were elected to the 2017 Executive Committee: Thomas Barkin, of Atlanta, Ga.; Steven E. Beebe, of La Quinta, Calif.; and William B. Siart, of Pacific Palisades, Calif.

In addition, Robert C. Weber, of Hobe Sound, Fla., has been elected to serve a second term as general counsel for the USGA.

Three current members of the Executive Committee retired at this year’s Annual Meeting: William Fallon of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Malcolm Holland III of Dallas, Texas; and Asuka Nakahara of Merion, Pa.

The USGA Women’s Committee, which advises the Executive Committee on matters pertaining to women’s golf and supports women’s amateur championships, has appointed Pam Murray of Richardson, Texas, as chairman and Courtney Myhrum of Pittsburgh, Pa., as vice chairman, for the 2017 term. Murray, who has served on the committee since 2011, succeeds Stasia Collins of Baltimore, Md., as chairman.

Other members of the 2017 USGA Women’s Committee are: Jan Berry, of Madison, Ala.; Debbie Bizal, of Evansville, Ind.; Carol Graybeal, of Chatham, N.J.; Judi Lorenzen, of Marana, Ariz.; Jean Mulcahey, of Hydes, Md.; Delia Nava, of The Woodlands, Texas; Mandy Rasmussen, of Pebble Beach, Calif.; Nancy Rees of Rye, N.Y.; Mary Shepperd, of San Diego, Calif.; Kathryn Washburn, of Mill Valley, Calif.; Ginny Waller Zanca, of Memphis, Tenn.; and Patti Zeeman, of Lake Bluff, Ill.

For more information about the USGA and its work, visit usga.org.