---
title: The Accidental Golf Czar
date: 2014-06-10T03:00:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://terp.umd.edu/the-accidental-golf-czar"
section: Articles
---
# The Accidental Golf Czar

*June 10, 2014* — by [David Kohn](/authors/david-kohn)


- *ILLUSTRATION BY JEANETTE J. NELSON M.B.A. ’14*

**As an All-American golfer** at Furman University, Cindy Davis could have gone pro back in 1984. Instead, she swung for a career on the business side of the green.

With an M.B.A. from Maryland in hand, Davis has risen from leadership positions at the Ladies Professional Golf Association, the Arnold Palmer Golf Co. and the Golf Channel to become president of [Nike Golf](http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/golf), a $700 million-a-year operation that’s aiming to become as ubiquitous in golf as it is in basketball and football.


*Golf Davis1 e1401301303855*


Davis says she found business school at Maryland relatively relaxing: After spending four years as an elite student-athlete, either practicing or studying, she had more time for herself.

At Nike, she made news by signing golf’s newest superstar, Rory McIlroy, to a 10-year contract last year worth as much as $250 million. Earlier this year, the company unveiled a new driver (to good reviews) as well as a variety of high-tech apparel designed to keep golfers comfortable and dry.

Davis travels constantly between Nike Golf’s headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., and its worldwide offices; recent itineraries included stops in Toronto, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Manchester, Frankfurt, Bangkok, Tokyo and Shanghai. It’s grueling, but she loves it. “We’re building a business in an area that I have a lot of passion about.”




**Issue:** [Spring 2014](https://terp.umd.edu/editions/spring-2014)


**Types:** [Class Act](https://terp.umd.edu/category/class-act)