LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Annika Sorenstam was elected president of the International Golf Federation on Thursday, replacing the outgoing Peter Dawson.
Sorenstam, a 72-time winner on the LPGA Tour and former No. 1, will take up the position on Jan. 1. The Swede was elected during the IGF’s virtual board meeting and her first major task will be to help oversee the federation’s strategic planning for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
The 50-year-old Sorenstam was a leading ambassador for golf’s bid to become an Olympic sport at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
“As an international player, having golf back in the Olympics means so much to me and to our sport,” Sorenstam said. “I very much look forward to working with the board, the IOC and the governing bodies of golf in their efforts to continue to grow the game globally.”
Dawson led the IGF for the last 10 years but decided not to seek reelection.
“Our Olympic status has been a strong catalyst for increasing cooperation and coordination between the major organisations in golf and has significantly strengthened the bonds between the IGF and our National Federations,” Dawson said. “My thanks go to so many people in golf and in the Olympic family for their support over the past 10 years.”