The West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA) has announced the departure of Executive Director Brad Ullman, who will become Tournament Director for LIV Golf, an international golf league comprised of renown professional golfers competing in venues around the globe.
“Brad’s departure will certainly leave a large void that we will work hard to fill,” said WVGA President Philip A Reale. “His incomparable commitment to excellence will be hard to replicate. He has set the standard for all to aspire to. He will bring that same dedication, his incredible command of knowledge of all facets of tournament golf and his embodiment of the spirit of the game of golf as it was intended by its founders.”
A national search will be conducted to fill this leadership vacancy.
Ullman is a 2002 graduate of Williamstown High School and a 2006 graduate of Fairmont State University, where he was a member of the golf team. He has a long history with golf and the WVGA. His first job in the industry was at Parkersburg Country Club when he was 11 years old. He then interned with the Top Flite Junior Tour under the guidance of Tour founder Larry Martin.
His tenure with WVGA began in 2007 when he was selected as a United States Golf Association (USGA) PJ Boatwright Intern under the guidance of WVGA Executive Director Ken Tackett. Following his internship, he was hired as the Association’s Director of Junior Golf. He was named Director of Operations in 2012 and Executive Director in 2014.
Ullman has overseen significant growth of the WVGA in the past nine years, including the First Tee-West Virginia program, which teaches character education, healthy habits and golf fundamentals is now in over 170 elementary schools across the state and the green-grass golf education at golf courses reached over 1,000 young people in 2022.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure working for the West Virginia Golf Association for the past 16 years. I’ve met and worked with a lot of great people and have many memories that I will cherish long after I leave,” Ullman said.
Ullman joins an outstanding group of former WVGA employees who are making their mark on the sport across the country: Ken Tackett is Senior Rules Official for the PGA Tour; Bella Xu works for PGA Champions Tour; Ashley Hamilton is Tournament Director for the Mitsubishi Electric Classic in Atlanta, Ga.; and Carter Page is Executive Director of the Mississippi Golf Association. In addition, in his new position, Ullman will be working alongside West Virginia native Slugger White who is the Senior Vice President of Rules and Competitions for LIV Golf.
In West Virginia, the game of golf drives significant economic activity, representing $2.3 billion in direct and induced economic output, 24,933 jobs, $743 million in wages, and $201.3 million in state and local taxes.
For more information on the WVGA, please visit wvga.org.
About the West Virginia Golf Association (WVGA): Founded in 1913, the West Virginia Golf Association is dedicated to promoting and preserving the game of golf in West Virginia. It is our privilege to protect and share the rich history of golf in West Virginia through the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame. We serve as a central source of information for our Member Clubs and generally represent the United States Golf Association (USGA) through administering the USGA Handicap System and Course/Slope Rating System, conducting qualifying rounds and overseeing amateur status matters. We introduce elementary school children to golf and safety, core values and healthy habits through the First Tee of West Virginia and develop young players through our Callaway Junior Rookie League and Callaway Junior Tour events for boys and girls under 18. We host one-day events and tournaments, which highlight the best amateur and professional golfers in the state, throughout the season for men, women, juniors and seniors. We encourage people of all ages to pursue and benefit from the opportunities for competition, camaraderie and health offered by the sport of golf. Our membership consists of 85 Member Clubs and over 11,000 individual golfers throughout the state of West Virginia.