Scott Langley to replace Jason Gore as USGA player relations head
The USGA (United States Golf Association) has appointed Scott Langley as the new head of men's players' relations. Scott replaces Jason Gore, who left the job this summer to take up a similar role at the PGA Tour.
Jason was considered the perfect candidate for the role when the USGA created the position and hired him in 2019. He was actively involved with the players and the organization. However, the opportunity at the PGA Tour was something he could not resist considering the tour's desire to save its players from the threat of LIV Golf. Finally, four months later, the USGA found another PGA Tour player, Scott Langley, to replace Jason Hore.
"The most important thing that Jason shared with me was just to be a great listener. To truly listen,” Langley said. “To always lead with that. I think that’s really my aim."
Some golf news: Former PGA Tour pro Scott Langley is the USGA's new men's player relations head.
Langley will be the go-between for competitors and the USGA for all men's competitions. He will step into the role vacated by Jason Gore earlier this year.
Scott Langley is a former PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour player
Scott Langley is an Illinois native and Florida resident who retired from professional golf last year. The 33-year-old ended his decade-long career on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour with his best performance being winning the 2018 Panama Championships.
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He was also a part of the advisory boards on the PGA and Korn Ferry Tour and spent a brief period as chairman of the KFT advisory board.
"For better or worse, I pretty much experienced everything short of winning a PGA Tour event or a major," Scott Langley said. "I pretty much got the full experience of the ups and downs of walking in those players’ shoes. So just being able to relate to their experience, for the most part, I think is extremely valuable."
In the new role, Langley will report to Heather Daly-Donofrio, who has been promoted to oversee all player relations. He joined the USGA in May after working for a decade on the LPGA Tour.
In addition to overseeing the player's relationship with the USGA, Langley will also assist in the course setup team and assist in the launch of the national development program.
The USGA established the player relations position after feeling a disconnect between its players and the organization. Over the years, many controversies have taken place and that's why the USGA felt that it needed someone to act as an intermediate between the players and the organization.
The greatest underlying challenge for Scott Langley will be from LIV Golf, which is still waiting for an answer as to whether its players will be allowed to play at the US Open. Talking about his approach to dealing with such issues, he said that he will focus on his job of delivering the news to players and simultaneously deliver feedback to the organization, without any bias.
"If there’s one thing that I hope players walk away from me with feeling, it’s 'Wow, Scott really cares what I think and he was really listening to me,'" Scott Langley said.
He continued,
"I think the focus of my role as it relates to players is communicating to them, 'Hey, your governing body is listening to what you think, and it’s important that you think. We want to hear your thoughts on various matters that will come up,'" he said. "That’s really a priority for me."
Langley looks prepared to take up this new challenge in his life right after returning from professional golf.