Ty M. Votaw begins his sixth year as commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in March 2004. From the time Votaw joined the LPGA in 1991 as general counsel, he has played a key role in strengthening the LPGA's position as the leading women's sports organization in the world and has guided the organization through one of its most successful periods.

Votaw became the second-youngest commissioner in LPGA history when he assumed the helm in March 1999 at the age of 37. He wasted no time generating increased awareness for the association and its members by spearheading an unprecedented, yearlong celebration of the LPGA's 50th anniversary in 2000, which garnered widespread media coverage and significantly raised the LPGA's profile.

One of the most significant accomplishments during Votaw's tenure has been the development and implementation of the association's first-ever Fans First strategic business plan, which is providing a clear vision for the LPGA's future success. This includes increased economic opportunities for LPGA members, a more robust fanbase, growth and expansion of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional membership and an organization that is more vibrant and contemporary than ever before.

In March 2002, Votaw gathered nearly 200 LPGA Tour players in Phoenix for a historic, three-day LPGA Player Summit to unveil the association's newly developed, five-year strategic business plan. Under Votaw's supervision, the LPGA's new Fans First plan has quickly gained industry and media praise, particularly for the plan's aggressive business goals to increase tournament attendance by 15 percent and television viewership by 10 percent annually. The LPGA's new plan has produced double-digit increases in tournament attendance, television viewership and on LPGA.com in both 2002 and 2003, helping to elevate the LPGA fan experience and increase the overall marketability of the association and its members.

Throughout his 13 years at the LPGA and most recently as commissioner, Votaw has been instrumental in increasing the economic opportunities for players. In 1991, when Votaw joined the LPGA, the Tour's official prize money was $18,435,000 and its average purse was $498,243. In 2004, LPGA players are competing for more than $42 million and an average purse of $1.3 million per full-field official-money event. Comparisons to 1999, Votaw's first year as commissioner, are equally as impressive. In 1999, 12 LPGA events featured purses of at least $1 million or higher, and in 2004 at least 27 events feature purses of at least $1 million.

Votaw has been an instrumental force in the growth and expansion of the LPGA Tour on television. Millions of fans worldwide will view the LPGA in 2004 on ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2, The Golf Channel and TNT. In 2004, the LPGA enjoys nearly 250 hours of televised coverage in North America and Tour telecasts are distributed to more than 80 countries worldwide. Another of Votaw's most impressive accomplishments is the creation of the State Farm LPGA Series, which launched in 1998 and is the first-ever umbrella-sponsored television series of its kind. The formation of this series and the LPGA's presence on The Golf Channel since its launch in 1996, have significantly expanded the LPGA's televised hours of coverage, helped grow the LPGA fanbase among avid sports viewers and strengthened the LPGA's ability to deliver fully-integrated sponsorships with dynamic media packages.

Under Votaw's direction, the LPGA has expanded its presence in the global sports entertainment marketplace, with an increased television footprint, significant merchandising initiatives in Europe, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada, and the expansion of its international tournament portfolio. Under Votaw's leadership, new events have been established in Korea and Canada, the prestigious Evian Masters in France was added to the LPGA schedule and the Weetabix Women's British Open was named the LPGA's fourth major championship. In 2004, the LPGA features tournaments in six countries.

Votaw serves on a number of golf industry boards, including The LPGA Foundation, World Golf Foundation and Golf 20/20, and he is also a member of The First Tee Oversight Committee. Most recently, Votaw played a key role in the establishment of the World Congress of Women's Golf, a first-ever industry summit that will gather the world's foremost authorities for the advancement of women's professional golf.

Votaw first joined the LPGA as general counsel in 1991 and was promoted a year later to the position of special assistant to the commissioner. In 1997, he was again promoted to vice president of business affairs. Prior to joining the LPGA, Votaw worked for Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, a Cincinnati-based law firm where he practiced general corporate law. He also was heavily involved in the firm's sports and entertainment legal practice, specifically in the area of creating and securing tax-exempt status for the Greater Cincinnati Sports & Events and Film Commissions.

Born and raised in Salem, Ohio, Votaw obtained a B.S. in journalism with summa cum laude honors at Ohio University in 1984 and earned his law degree at the University of North Carolina in 1987 with cum laude honors. A collector of first edition books and an avid music buff, Votaw has two children, Sam, 10, and Caroline, 6.