Sprague Elected 39th President of PGA of America


Derek Sprague of Malone, N.Y., was elected the 39th president of the PGA of America at the association's 98th annual meeting in Indianapolis. Sprague is the PGA general manager and director of golf at Malone Golf Club.

Sprague became a PGA member in 1993 and has held leadership roles at both the national and sectional levels since 1998. He previously served as PGA secretary from 2010-12, and as vice president from 2012 until October 24, when he was named interim president after president Ted Bishop was dismissed over controversial statements he made on social media about British golfer Ian Poulter. Sprague also served as the District 1 director on the national PGA board from 2007-10.

Succeeding Sprague as vice president is Paul Levy of Indian Wells, Calif., who served the past two years as secretary and held the roles of secretary and interim vice president starting on October 24.

Suzy Whaley of Farmington, Conn., was elected secretary. Sprague, Levy and Whaley will each serve two-year terms. The board of directors extended the role of honorary president Allen Wronowski of Bel Air, Md., for two additional years.

In addition, three new members of the board of directors were sworn in at the annual meeting. The new members are Jeff Drimel of St. Michael, Minn.; Tim Fries of Kenmore, N.Y.; and Kyle Heyen of Arvada, Colo. The new PGA District directors each will serve three-year terms.

Whaley is a certified PGA professional, LPGA member and the director of instruction at Suzy Whaley Golf at TPC River Highlands in Croswell, Conn. She was elected as District 1 director on the PGA board of directors in November 2010, thus becoming the second woman ever elected to the PGA board.

In July 2003, Whaley was the first woman to qualify for a PGA Tour event in 58 years, following the legendary Babe Zaharias, the only other woman to ever achieve the feat. To reach that place in golf history Whaley captured the Connecticut PGA Section Championship, also a first by any PGA of America woman professional.

Her teaching accolades include being named one of the 2013 Golf Digest Top 50 Best Teachers in America. She guided her Connecticut Team to the 2014 PGA Junior League Golf Championship, where it finished fifth.

The above report is courtesy of the PGA of America. For more information, visit www.pga.com.