Chris Higgs Joins Ladies Professional Golf Association

Chris Higgs, president of Executive Sports International (ESI), is joining the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) as its senior vice president and chief operations officer, effective January 1, 2002.

Higgs, who will be based at LPGA Headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla., will oversee all activities associated with tournaments, including tournament business development, tournament sponsor relations, player services and international affairs.

‘Chris brings a wealth of tournament and business experience to the LPGA,’ said Votaw. ‘He already is familiar with the LPGA from his early days in the business when he worked on LPGA events and his involvement with The Solheim Cup. His contacts and expertise in both tournaments and special events will be invaluable to the LPGA as it strategically builds its schedule and tournament family and cements its position as the world leader in women’s professional golf.’

Higgs said, ‘The LPGA is already recognized as the leading women’s professional golf tour, but I believe the LPGA Tour has untapped potential in its tournaments. I look forward to working with Ty and his staff in further expanding the LPGA’s position and influence and helping the LPGA reach that potential and build the foundation for the association’s next 50 years.’

Higgs joins Karen Durkin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Libba Galloway, senior vice president and chief legal officer, and Kathy Milthorpe, senior vice president and chief financial officer, on Votaw’s senior management team. As with the other senior vice presidents, Higgs will report directly to Votaw.

Most recently, Higgs was president of ESI, a global sports marketing and event management company. As president, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of all company departments, including special event management, tournament operations, tournament management, corporate representation and property representation.

Higgs was promoted to president in January 2000, after service two-plus years as chief operating officer. During his 15-year tenure at ESI, he managed or consulted on more than 190 professional golf tournaments in Argentina, the Bahamas, Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Japan and the United States. He has also been involved with The Solheim Cup since its inception in 1990.

A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Higgs was graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Camberly, England, and spent five years as a commissioned British Army officer, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, England and Zimbabwe.

Prior to joining ESI, he was a marketing representative for IBM World Trade Corporation and a sports marketing consultant to Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, where he was responsible for attracting LPGA and PGA Tour events to the Caribbean nation. Higgs is married with one son.

For further nforamtion please contact:

Lisa Shelly
LPGA
Tel: +1 386-274-6200