América

After six years of serving the PGA of America as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, Seth Waugh has decided to step down.

Waugh, who previously served as CEO of Deutsche Bank Americas, became the CEO of the PGA of America in September 2018, the same month Le Golf National in Paris hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup. Of course, the PGA of America facilitates both the Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship.

But now, a month before Le Golf National will host the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Golf Competition, Waugh announced in a statement that he will not renew his contract with the organization.

“I recently informed the board that I would not be renewing my contract that is set to expire on June 30, but I am honored to continue to serve the association as a Senior Advisor,” Waugh said.

“It has been an absolute privilege and honor to serve as the CEO of the PGA of America for the past six years.”

Waugh has had quite a tenure. In May 2019, he helped lead the organization at Bethpage Black, which hosted the PGA Championship in May for the first time instead of its traditional August date.

Then, a global pandemic disrupted the entire world, which consequently led to a golfing boom among amateur players. People from all walks of life have begun to play the game as the sport continues to grow among younger, more diverse populations.

But the men’s professional game has been divided over the past few years thanks to LIV Golf’s prominence. Waugh and the PGA of America have mostly stayed out of the PGA Tour-LIV Golf fray, but he did say at Oak Hill in 2023 that “division is not good for the game.”

Nevertheless, the PGA of America invited numerous LIV Golf players to compete at Valhalla this year, hoping to create the strongest field in all golf.

On top of that, Waugh has repeatedly opined about rolling back the golf ball, which has sparked controversy over the past decade. The United States Golf Association (USGA) and the R&A—the two governing bodies golf has—wanted to create a rule where professional golfers would use a limited-distance golf ball to combat the preposterous length players now have.

“We fear that the proposed changes could seriously interrupt the current momentum in the game and be fundamentally damaging and detrimental in the long run,” Waugh wrote in July 2023.

“It is something that we feel could lead to division and cause us to lose a very precarious characteristic of golf; the fact that we all play on the same course with the same clubs and balls. In our view, this dynamic should be preserved as a fundamental tenet.”

To respond, the USGA and the R&A decided that, instead of creating a different ball for pro circuits, all golfers must play with a newer limited-distance ball that will be instituted in pro events in 2028 and among the amateur game by 2030.

“The very best will figure out this new ball and how to hit it farther than I certainly do,” Waugh said at Valhalla in May 2024.

Seth Waugh, PGA Championship — From right to left: Seth Waugh, John Lindert, and Kerry Haigh speak to the media ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship.

“I think our biggest fear is for that part of the game that is growing, are you going to sort of disrupt that for one-half of one percent that are out there, right, and where do you draw the line of what’s elite and what’s not? Is a club championship elite or not? And so, we are glad it’s one rule, and the game will be bigger than any of this. We can all argue about it, but the game will be fine both recreationally and, I think, professionally, as well.”

Waugh has witnessed some incredible events play out during his tenure, too.

He saw Phil Mickelson become the oldest major champion at Kiawah Island. He also witnessed Justin Thomas win his second Wanamaker Trophy at Southern Hills in 2022. Then, Michael Block became an internet sensation at Oak Hill, jarring a hole-in-one on the 15th hole that golf fans will remember forever.

Plus, he watched the Americans win the Ryder Cup on home soil in 2021, when Steve Stricker captained Team USA to victory in his native Wisconsin.

However, a captain has yet to be announced for the 2025 competition at Bethpage Black. Luke Donald, meanwhile, will return as the leader of Team Europe after their resounding victory in Rome last fall.

Still, Waugh feels confident in his work and will continue to consult the organization as an advisor. PGA of America Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh will serve as CEO in the interim.

“The goal from the start was to leave the room better than we found it, and I believe that together, we have done just that,” Waugh added.

“I want to thank the membership, my colleagues, all the various board members, past presidents, our extraordinary partners, my peers at all the other golf bodies, as well as everyone who plays and loves our beautiful game for all the support and friendship during this journey. What a gift this has been.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Copa América is almost here! By the time you read this, we’ll be less than 24 hours from the South American tournament kicking off on our borders.

The opening match starts off this Thursday between defending Copa champions Argentina and Canada. When the teams step out onto the field, they will be doing so in their new jerseys that were released earlier this year. In fact, each of the 16 teams in the tournament enter Copa América with fresh jerseys

In any competition, you’ll have some fantastic jersey combinations. And, you will also have some hideous ones. Whenever a team takes the field for a major competition, their fans hope they are doing so looking good.

Unfortunately, some teams look better than others. And that’s what we’re here to discuss.

Across 16 teams, there are 32 jerseys. Let’s go through the list from worst to best team jersey sets at Copa América.

16. Panama

Panama has a new crest, but unfortunately it looks like they opted for Reebok’s plain templates. A plain red home jersey and plain white road jersey just doesn’t generate excitement.

15. Chile

Chile’s red home jersey has a sublimated design that makes it look better than a plain offering, but it isn’t enough to combat an away jersey that looks phoned in. They normally look good on the field, but right now they will get lost amongst the sea of red and white jerseys out there.

14. Uruguay

Uruguay left Puma for Nike, but their first offering leaves a ton to be desired. The small pinstripes on both jerseys don’t pop on TV, so you’re left with a jersey that just looks plain. For a team that expects to contend for the Copa América title, they should have done better on the jersey front.

13. Venezuela

The home Venezuela jersey boasts the Vinotinto color that they’re known for, but another jersey element would have helped here. The away jersey is interesting, but the design could have flowed better into the rest of the jersey. If the jersey had more yellow, it would have looked more distinctive.

12. Canada

Canada finally got some new jerseys after skipping out on some before the 2022 World Cup. While the old school Nike logo and pinstripes gives the away jersey a nice vintage feel, the home jersey seems like they needed another few years to design something a lot better. That’s a huge disappointment, especially given the wait.

11. Mexico

Objectively, Mexico’s away jersey might be one of the best in the tournament. That home jersey, however, might be one of the worst. It’s a controversial pick, but red is not their color and it should not be their home jersey. And the design just doesn’t work at all. Some may like it, but Mexico has a traditional look and this is a terrible departure from it.

10. Colombia

Colombia’s yellow jerseys are really nice, and so are the away black jerseys. There’s not a lot of design here, which is why they are in the bottom 6.

9. Bolivia

Bolivia has a nice home jersey, going with the light green as a departure from their normal forest green. Pairing that with a deep red away jersey makes for a pretty good look. Outside of the home jersey’s sleeves, there isn’t much in the way of design here, opting to focus on the color.

8. Costa Rica

Costa Rica really went for it here, and they did a decent job with it. The home jersey’s design is interesting, but the jury’s still out on whether it’s elite or a dud. They get some points for add some design to their away jersey as well to give it some pop, and the new crest looks great on the home.

7. Paraguay

Paraguay rarely has to do much with their traditional vertical red and white stripes, and still they are able to make it look good. Adding some elements within the red stripes and the royal blue trim ties in so well with their traditional them and looks great. There’s a cool Hawaiian vibe with their away jersey, and the light blue paired with the other blues makes for a very nice look.

6. USA

The away jersey may have mixed reviews, but it’s one of the best jerseys in this tournament and gets the USMNT barely into the top six. The home jersey has the flag elements on the collar and sleeve, but the mismatched royal blue on the collar and the navy blue numbers knock them down a bit. Conjuring the feels of the 2014 Bomb Pops, the away jersey does look really good with the red shorts.

5. Ecuador

Ecuador’s jerseys since their jersey rebrand have been really well done and they stick within a theme. Here, they have the navy sash on the yellow home jersey, and that blue sash becomes horizontal on the away jersey to give it some added pop. They will look great on the field as well, and hopefully they pair the white jersey with navy shorts for even more pop.

4. Brazil

Brazil’s home jerseys are iconic, and this year’s edition is really nice. The sleeve trim gives a nice touch of zing to the jersey. The away jersey is one of the better ones they’ve had with the horizontal pinstripes and the light green trim. The center crest is the only reason these aren’t ranked higher.

3. Argentina

Speaking of iconic jerseys, the home Argentina jersey is one of those that doesn’t need to do much to look good. What really sets them off is pairing it with an away jersey that has royal blue with their light blue as trim. Of course, the World Cup champions badge is unbeatable and really looks good on both the home and away.

2. Peru

Peru’s white jersey with a red sash is always amazing, and this might be one of the best versions of that. There’s a red trip across the bottom that flows into the sash on one side, and the gold trim makes it look elegant. The road jersey is a cool one, with the black torso and the maroon tiger stripes on the sleeves and shoulders. Once again, the gold trim makes it pop.

1. Jamaica

Jamaica has the best jersey set in this competition, full stop. The home jersey combines all their elements so well with the yellow jersey, the green sleeves and shoulders, and the black trim. The away jersey? Epic. The bespoke design is up there among some of the best national team jerseys on the planet, and they will always look good when they step on the field. They understood the assignment, and that’s why their jerseys are the best in this competition.

Tag: América

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