Suzy Whaley - Successful multitasking, being a role model, and what it's like being the first female President of the PGA of America.

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"I'm proud of the fact I'm the first female President, but at the same time I hope that as we move forward it doesn't matter." 

- Suzy Whaley, President - PGA of America

​Suzy Whaley (T: @suzywhaley, I: mammawhales, FB: @suzypgapresident) has been successful at everything she’s ever done. In additional to being the President of the PGA of America (and the first female President ever!), she is also the current PGA Director of Instruction at the Country Club of Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida as well as the PGA Director of Instruction for Suzy Whaley Golf. Her career is long and distinguished. After playing for the University of North Carolina women’s golf team she quickly moved on to become a member of the LPGA Tour in the early 1990’s. When that didn’t work out, she worked with the Jim Flick Golf Schools before becoming a Head Golf Professional at Blue Fox Run in Avon, Connecticut. She transitioned back into coaching & instruction and has received many awards along the way; 10x Golf Digest State Teacher of the Year, 2x Connecticut Teacher of the Year, LPGA Top 50 Instructor, Golf Digest Top 50, GOLF’s ‘Top 100 Coaches in America’ plus many more.

During her career she somehow managed to juggle raising a family, run a golf business and still play competitively. In 2003 she played so well she qualified for the PGA Tour’s Greater Hartford Open, becoming the first female to play in a PGA Tour event in more than 50 years. After that she maintained her fine play by winning numerous local, state, and regional events, competed in the 2002 & 2005 PGA Professional Championship’s and to top it off, her and her husband, Bill, have raised two great girls that are both fantastic golfers.
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How does she continue being so successful and where does she find the time to do it all? In this episode we discuss that, how she views herself as a role model being the first female officer and President of the PGA and a lot more.

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​Any questions, feedback or insight from this episode? What did you learn most and what did you like best? What should be added for future episodes? Please post your answer in the 'Comments' below:

Scroll down for links and Show Notes

SHOW NOTES & LINKS:

• Where does she get her high level of energy from?  [5:30]
• How does she work with modern technology and demands on time  [8:30]
• The best thing you can do for any junior, or child, that's playing golf  [11:02]
• Was golf her focus growing up?  [14:15]
• Green Mount Valley School​
• Youth development in sports and is specializing in golf early a good or bad thing and Suzy's thoughts on training juniors?  [17:40]
• PGA.coach  
• What was the attraction to golf  [24:05]
• Does she consider herself a 'trailblazer'  [26:05]
• What is her vision for the PGA and what are some of the things she's helped put in place so far?  [30:28]
• PGA Frisco
• How does she make difficult decisions as a Board member and President?  [36:05]
• What does the PGA logo mean to her [39:10]
• How does she deal with the negativity of naysayers  [41:58]
• What leaders has she learned from?  [46:10]
• What made her want to get into a male dominated industry?  [50:25]
• Maintaining balance within the PGA; growing the girls game while not neglecting other areas? [58:45]
• Are traditions or holding onto them a good thing?  [1:02:50]
• What are the challenges in 'Growing the Game' in today's fast paced society?  [1:09:40]
• PGA.com
• Is PGA member & apprentice compensation a function of the market or is there something the PGA of America can do to improve it?  [1:13:40]
• Playing in the 2003 PGA Tour's Greater Hartford Open, the reason she played, and her playing career [1:18:38]
• What she's doing to help PGA Instructors and students in a tech driven world.  [1:32:55]
• Paul Chek and the CHEK Institute
• The personal touch of instruction  [1:40:39]
• What drives her to do what she does  [1:52:18]
• 'Golf the Wright Way' (book)