DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 16, 2006 – Mike Nichols has been named Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) vice president of tournament business affairs and will assume the position beginning March 20.
As vice president of tournament business affairs, Nichols’ primary responsibility will be to manage day-to-day relationships with tournament title sponsors and organizers and to assist in developing new event opportunities. Additionally, Nichols will assist in the management and development of the annual tournament schedule and will work closely with the LPGA Tournament Owners Association.
"It is a great pleasure to welcome Mike to the LPGA," said Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Chris Higgs, who Nichols will report to. "Mike’s background and knowledge of cultivating and conducting golf tournaments is vast. He knows the ins and outs of what it takes to run a successful golf tournament and he will bring a sponsorship and fans-first mentality to the LPGA."
Most recently, Nichols served the past three years as the championship director of the 2005 U.S. Senior Open, a United States Golf Association (USGA) event, in Dayton, Ohio. For his efforts, Nichols was recognized by the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau with a Community Ambassador Award.
Prior to his position with USGA, Nichols worked as the executive director of the annual Champions Tour golf tournament in Grand Rapids, Mich., where the Grand Rapids Press named him one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Sports Leaders in West Michigan."
Nichols graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Economics from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vt., and received a Master of Science in Sports Administration from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla.
Nichols and his wife Mary Beth have a 6six-month-old son and will relocate to the Daytona Beach area in the coming weeks.
About Ladies Professional Golf Association
Featuring the world’s best women golfers, the LPGA’s membership includes touring, teaching and club professionals. The LPGA Tour in 2006 features 34 events, with total prize money of nearly $50 million. Since 1981, the LPGA and its tournaments have raised approximately $170 million for charity. From the dreams of its 13 founders in 1950, the LPGA has evolved into the world’s preeminent women’s professional sports organization. The LPGA has grown from its roots as a playing tour into a non-profit organization involved in every facet of golf. In addition to the LPGA Tour members, the LPGA membership includes nearly 1,200 certified Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) who serve the golf industry in teaching, coaching and management positions. The LPGA T&CP member programs focus on increasing the involvement of women, girls and youth in golf, as well as contribute to the growth of the sport overall. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. For more information on the LPGA, log on to www.LPGA.com.
Contact:
Paul Rovnak, LPGA
386-274-6200
