Michael Whan - November 17, 2011

• By Morning Drive Team
• Nov 17, 2011 7:57 AM ET

Michael Whan is the Commissioner of the LPGA Tour and he was joined in the Morning Drive studio by Symetra Financial Corporation CEO Tom Marra. Whan will also guest host Morning Drive on Monday November 21st. Symetra will become the sponsor of the LPGA Futures Tour beginning in 2012. Whan feels that while there a lot of companies who can sponsor something, Symetra is the kind of company that has the same vision that the LPGA Tour has in wanting to make the LPGA Futures Tour bigger and take it to the next level. Marra said that like the Futures Tour, Symetra is a growing brand looking to go to the next level and they have sponsored a Futures Tour event in the past and the company is excited about the Futures Tour and its future. They are in the Financial Services business and many people who would be interested in their services are people in the golf industry as well as many golf fans. Symetra is located in Washington State and Marra feels that it is a great place to be as the employees are loyal and the atmosphere is great.

Yani Tseng is rewriting the LPGA Tour record books and the best thing that Whan can do is stand back and fan the flame of her success. It is amazing to see the amount of international and domestic coverage for Yani on the course and in her news conferences. Yani is helping to wake other people up to what is happening on the LPGA Tour. He does not have to worry about a rival for Yani Tseng and while he would love a Boston Red Sox to Yani’s New York Yankees so to speak, there are so many talented players who while they are respectful of Yani’s talents, they are also eager and ready to take her on for the World #1 spot.