PDGA board race puts global growth and governance in focus

Two at-large seats on the PDGA Global Board of Directors are up for election in July, and the stakes go well beyond a pair of board chairs. The winners will help steer policy, executive-director oversight, financial management and the membership’s vision for the sport during a three-year term that runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2029.

That makes this a governance story with real competitive consequences. The PDGA says its Global Board is required for nonprofit status and mandated by its bylaws, and board members meet monthly with staff by teleconference. In a sport still sorting out how to balance professional and amateur needs while expanding internationally, those meetings shape the details that players feel on the course, from rules and competition structure to event support and the international calendar.

The election itself runs from July 1 through July 31, 2026. Members who were current as of June 25 and have valid email addresses will receive online voting instructions during the first week of the election, while members without internet access can request a mailed paper ballot by calling the PDGA office no later than July 20. The organization’s Nominating Committee reviewed cover letters, resumes, referral letters, background checks and, in some cases, video interviews before putting four candidates on the ballot.

One of those candidates is Conrad Damon #2450, a PDGA member since 1986 who has already served on the board. His profile, as a longtime player, former board member, Rules Committee chair and software engineer, shows the kind of blend the PDGA is looking for: deep sport knowledge paired with practical professional experience. With only two at-large seats available, the final board will not just add voices, it will help decide how aggressively the PDGA pushes global growth, how it communicates with members and how much weight it gives to amateur development versus the pro side of the game.

The turnout numbers explain why the association keeps pushing awareness. In 2025, the PDGA sent 101,155 ballots and got back 10,292, a 10.17 percent participation rate. Turnout was 10.65 percent in 2024 and 17.76 percent in 2022. The first formal all-member board election came in late 1986, and nearly four decades later the same basic question remains: who gets to help direct the sport as it spreads into more countries, more tours and more complicated decisions.