Meet the air traffic controller behind the PGA Championship
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Photo: Courtesy of PGA
Jackie Endsley may be a Midwesterner, but she is an honorary Philadelphian after spending two years in the region helping organize the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Why it matters: Those creds came in handy when she was tapped to lead the PGA Championship after Ryan Ogle stepped down as director earlier this year.
The big picture: Endsley is the point person for the tournament expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people — her role is part air traffic controller, part brand ambassador.
- "My day-to-day, it's always different," she says. "It's working with the host site, making sure the membership is excited, making sure credentials get distributed to all of our vendors and all of our key stakeholders, and making sure at the end of the day that we just have fun."
Zoom in: Being back in the Philly region is "deja vu" for Endsley, who inherited a tough situation stepping in after Ogle's departure.
- Luckily, she had nine years of PGA experience to fall back on, including six handling major championships.
- She'd already worked with the team at Aronimink, and could lean on her PGA team to pull strings if she needed help.
And she's already experienced Philly's passionate sports culture, attending Eagles, Phillies and Flyers games during her previous stint in the region.
- She hopes fans bring that same energy to the upcoming PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club — just a less rowdy version.
What she's saying: "We're excited for them to bring that passion out here in a respectful way," Endsley told Axios Thursday.
What we're watching: Endsley said fans can also expect new elements aimed at enhancing the experience, including a larger presence from content creators and influencers.