Cathy Crowther

Vice President at PGA TOUR Enterprises

“As Vice President at PGA TOUR Enterprises, Cathy Crowther oversees all TV and streaming operations, managing logistics for freelancers across 100 golf tournaments annually. Her team coordinates accommodations, transportation, and catering for 250 people per event while ensuring seamless broadcast execution. With a background in Marketing and Finance, Cathy has always thrived behind the scenes, leveraging her expertise in budgeting and operations to drive success.Cathy’s career spans 32 years at NBC Sports, where she worked on global sporting events, including the Olympics, and played a key role in bringing Golf Channel’s operations in-house. Despite the male-dominated nature of the industry, she never saw gender as a barrier, instead focusing on hard work and determination. She successfully balanced her demanding career while raising three children, emphasizing the importance of commitment and prioritization.

Her advice to young women in sports: Identify your passion, work hard, ask questions, and continuously seek growth. Building a career takes resilience, but with dedication and the right mindset, success is within reach.

Thank you, Cathy, for sharing your incredible journey and insights. Your leadership and contributions to the industry are truly inspiring. – Zara Halabu”

Please describe your role and responsibilities at that position?

I am in charge of all the TV/streaming operations for the tour. I hire, handle all the logistics in the studio and on site to get our freelancers to each golf tournament. My group is in charge of securing hotels, airlines, rental cars and feeding 250 people weekly at each event. We cover approx 100 events a year. We handle all the onsite operations so our people can go from place to place on the golf course . We work with tournaments and other vendors to make the broadcast the best it can be..

What did you study in college and how did your educational background shape your career in the sports industry?

I was a Marketing and Finance major. I have always been the behind the scenes person who is in charge of the budget and my background helped with that. All businesses need to keep track of expenses so it was a natural place for me.

Can you share the key milestones in your career that led you to your current position in the sports industry?

I worked at NBC Sports for 32 years before I came to the PGA TOUR. I have done every sport in the book from a production management perspective, I started a division at the Golf Channel back in 2012 to bring all of their operations in house so I knew what to do when I was approached to do the same thing at the TOUR. Some milestones would be working all over the world in every country doing basketball, football, baseball, tennis, boxing, sumo wrestling and the Olympics. watching Michael Phelps win 8 golds in 2008 was the highlight of my career. I was in charge of the swimming venue for NBC, super fun and exciting.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the sports business, and how have you overcome them?

Sports is a male dominated industry, just is…I never thought of myself as different than anyone because I was a woman. I know I probably worked harder and took things on the chin but never once thought I couldn’t achieve what I wanted to because I was a woman.

Balancing a career is demanding. How do you manage a work -life balance? What strategies have worked well for you?

I was able to raise 3 children over my long career so it can be done. It takes focus and commitment, my children always came first then work but I also knew I had a big responsibility with work and didn’t want to disappoint those whom I worked with and for.

How important is mentorship for women in the sports industry? Have you had mentors or role models who played a significant role in your career and can give some details?

Mentorship in any industry is important and while I might not have known I had one I did. I had leaders who were invested in my success and made sure I had all the tools I needed to be successful. That could have been from helping me figure out my work environment ( I was the first person/mother to work from home at NBC Sports) to giving me driving assignments when pregnant. It truly is a team effort to make people successful.

In a male-dominated industry, do you feel women are given equal opportunities? What steps do you think can be taken to promote gender equality in the sports industry?

I think there are equal opportunities and now there are many women who are qualified for those once only male dominated jobs. The job should always go to the most qualified person no matter the sex. While many industries give jobs to people who may not deserve it but have other “ins” to the business that will never stop so while it may not be fair that is life.

What aspects of your work in the sports industry do you enjoy the most? What parts do you find the most challenging?

I look at my job as a puzzle and there is only a short amount of time to put it together 100% correctly. There are many moving parts in putting sports on TV so need to be quick yet efficient. I have traveled the world and have loved it. I have met so many different people both in front and behind the camera, many whom I call life long friends. You spend more time with these people sometimes than family and some become family to you. I have always said my job is a lifestyle not a job. It is not for everyone but I have had a great career and have loved every minute of it.

What advice do you have for young women aspiring to build a successful career in the sports industry?

I would say focus on what it is you really want to do, production/operations/finance/legal/hr and start looking at those jobs and know that it takes time and resilience in finding a job no matter what industry. Use your contacts, they can only get you maybe an interview but you are the one who will get the job and need to stay in the job so work hard, ask questions and always look to see how you can grow in your job/career.