The Playbook | No. 50
Before Greta Siedow became General Chair of the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, she was working the driving range at Hazeltine during the 2009 PGA Championship. Her journey from volunteer to championship leader is a powerful reminder that golf creates opportunity far beyond the leaderboard.
“Leadership in golf does not always begin inside the ropes.”
The Playbook | Insider POV
Greta Siedow’s Volunteer to Leadership Journey to KPMG
When the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship arrives at Hazeltine National Golf Club this June, the spotlight will naturally fall on the best players in the world.
Fans will see championship golf. Television viewers will see grandstands, scoreboards, hospitality venues, and the competition unfolding inside the ropes.
What many won’t see is the army of volunteers, committee leaders, staff members, and community partners working behind the scenes to bring one of the most significant events in women’s golf to life.
Helping lead that effort is Greta Siedow, General Chair of the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
For Siedow, this role represents far more than a leadership position. It is the culmination of a journey that began nearly two decades ago, long before she found herself overseeing one of the game’s premier championships.
Like many golfers, Siedow’s introduction to the game started with family. Her father introduced her to golf at a young age, and she quickly developed a passion for the sport. Throughout high school, she competed on the golf team and later continued her involvement in the game through roles in outside services and golf operations at local clubs, including Hazeltine National Golf Club.
One of those early experiences came during Hazeltine’s 2009 PGA Championship, where Siedow worked on the driving range as part of the championship operation.
Seventeen years later, she returns to the championship stage in a dramatically different role.
Meredith:
“Seventeen years ago, you were working on the driving range during the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine. Today, you’re serving as General Chair of a major championship at the same club. When you reflect on that journey, what stands out most to you about how your relationship with golf and leadership has evolved?”
When I reflect on that journey, what has remained constant is my genuine love for the game and the relationships it creates—connections, friendships, and even lifelong bonds that are uniquely shaped through golf.
What has evolved is how golf has shown up in my life at different stages. Early on, it was about quality time with my dad. In high school, it became a way to be part of a team. As I entered the workforce, it opened doors—creating shared ground with people, including senior leaders, I might not otherwise have had access to.
Today, as a club member and General Chair, golf represents something even broader: a sense of community and the opportunity to lead, give back, and help shape meaningful experiences for others.
As General Chair, Siedow now oversees a complex organizational structure that includes more than 50 committee and division chairs and approximately 1,300 volunteers who will help deliver the championship experience.
The role requires strategic planning, operational oversight, volunteer engagement, community relations, and collaboration with numerous stakeholders, all while ensuring the championship reflects the excellence expected from both Hazeltine National Golf Club and the PGA of America.
Fortunately, leadership is nothing new for Siedow.
Professionally, she serves as Vice President and Chief of Staff of Optum, bringing extensive experience in strategy, operations, administration, and organizational leadership. Those skills translate naturally to championship management, where success often depends less on individual contributions and more on aligning teams around a shared vision.
The scale of the event is significant, but so is the responsibility.
Major championships do not simply happen. They are built through thousands of hours of preparation and the collective efforts of volunteers who believe in the mission and the event’s impact.
Meredith:
“Leading more than 1,100 volunteers requires a unique leadership approach. What have you learned about building teams, creating buy-in, and bringing people together around a shared vision?”
This was one of the first opportunities I’ve had to truly build a team from the ground up—and it was rewarding. We’re fortunate to have such a passionate and dedicated membership at Hazeltine, which made it possible to bring together more than 60 committee chairs, coupled with a very strong community, which resulted in over 1,300 volunteers, who are deeply committed to the club’s mission and Minnesota’s passion of hosting world-class championship golf.
What I’ve learned is that when people are aligned around a shared purpose, building buy-in comes naturally. My role is to clearly define priorities and goals, communicate with consistency and transparency, and then empower individuals to operate at their highest level within their own respective roles.
When you create that kind of environment—where people feel connected to the mission and trusted to deliver—you unlock both performance and a strong sense of team.
While the championship will ultimately crown a major champion, its impact extends far beyond the leaderboard.
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has become one of the most influential events in women’s sports, serving not only as a showcase for the world’s best golfers but also as a platform for leadership, professional development, and visibility for women both on and off the course.
That broader mission feels particularly relevant in today’s sports landscape.
Women’s sports continue to experience unprecedented growth in viewership, attendance, sponsorship investment, and media attention. From professional basketball and soccer to golf and tennis, audiences are increasingly recognizing the talent, stories, and competitive excellence that have long existed but have not always received equal visibility.
Golf occupies a unique position within that movement.
The game serves as both a sport and a business platform, creating opportunities for networking, leadership development, mentorship, and relationship building. For many women, myself included, golf has become a gateway to professional opportunities that extend far beyond the fairways.
Meredith:
“Women's sports are experiencing unprecedented momentum right now. From your perspective, what makes this moment different, and why do events like the KPMG Women's PGA Championship matter beyond what happens inside the ropes?”
Everyone Watches Women’s Sports’ is one of my favorite taglines right now because it captures what’s changing. The talent and the stories have always been there—but what’s different in this moment is the scale of visibility, investment, and belief behind it. We’re finally seeing more consistent coverage and storytelling, and as a result, audiences are connecting with these athletes not just for their performance, but for who they are as people.
Events like the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship play a critical role in sustaining that momentum. As one of the five major championships on the LPGA Tour, it provides a national platform to showcase excellence at the highest level—and to tell the stories that help grow the game. Soon enough, the coverage will extend beyond the majors, but everything must start somewhere.
You saw that play out with the attention around Nelly Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open win—her journey resonated because people understood what it meant to her. And that’s the opportunity we have at Hazeltine. There are 156 athletes in this field, each with a story just as compelling and inspiring. When we elevate those stories, we’re not just growing women’s golf—we’re shaping how women’s sports are seen and valued more broadly.
Siedow’s commitment to growing the game is also rooted in personal experience.
As a young golfer, she attended women’s golf events with her father, including the Solheim Cup and the U.S. Women’s Open. Those experiences helped shape her appreciation for women’s golf and demonstrated the importance of seeing successful women competing at the highest level.
Today, she has an opportunity to help create those same experiences for future generations.
The championship’s community initiatives include youth-focused programming and opportunities designed to introduce more young people to the game. Children ages 15 and under receive complimentary admission with a ticketed adult, helping make the championship accessible to families and aspiring young golfers.
For many attendees, a major championship may represent their first opportunity to see the world’s best female players compete in person.
Moments like that can have a lasting impact.
They can inspire participation, create aspirations, and challenge perceptions about what is possible within the game.
Just as importantly, they can help young girls envision futures for themselves not only as players, but as leaders, executives, volunteers, coaches, and decision-makers within the industry.
That representation matters.
The growth of women’s golf will not be driven solely by those competing on the course. It will also be shaped by the women leading organizations, managing events, building partnerships, mentoring future leaders, and creating opportunities for others to follow.
Meredith:
“If a young girl attends the championship this June and sees herself in the future of golf: whether as a player, executive, volunteer, or leader—what do you hope she takes away from the experience?”
Golf is unique and diverse—and I hope a young girl who attends the championship feels that sense of possibility. It can be social, a way to connect with friends and family. It can be competitive, pushing you to grow as an athlete. It can be recreation and exercise. It can also open doors professionally, creating opportunities in business and leadership.
What I hope she sees at Hazeltine is that there isn’t just one path—there are many ways to be part of the game. Whether she dreams of playing at the highest level, leading an organization, or simply being part of a community, golf can be a platform for all of it.
I hope she also walks away inspired all while believing that she belongs. That this is a game—and a space—where she can thrive, lead, and shape the future in her own way.
As the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship approaches, Siedow’s story serves as a reminder that leadership often begins long before a title is earned.
It begins with showing up.
It begins with volunteering.
It begins with saying yes to opportunities before fully understanding where they might lead.
From working on the driving range during the 2009 PGA Championship to leading one of the most important events in women’s golf, Siedow’s journey reflects the power of long-term commitment, service, and belief in the game’s future.
And while the world’s best players will ultimately determine who lifts the trophy at Hazeltine, leaders like Greta Siedow are helping ensure the stage itself continues to grow bigger, stronger, and more impactful for generations of women to come.
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