3/8/06

Far Hills, N.J., USA – Walter Driver Jr., of Atlanta, Ga., the newly elected president of the United States Golf Association, has been named to succeed Fred S. Ridley as the joint chairman of the International Golf Federation (IGF).

Driver joins David Harrison, chairman of the general committee of The R&A as a joint chairman of the organization. The other officers are the women’s chair, Vicky Whyte (Brazil) and its joint secretaries, Peter Dawson (R&A) and David Fay (USGA).

Driver, 60, is Chairman-Southeast of Goldman Sachs and Co., a leading global investment banking, securities and investment firm. Driver is a 1967 graduate of Stanford (Calif.) University, where he lettered three years in golf. He is also a 1970 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law.

He was a member of the IGF’s administrative committee in 2004.

Driver began playing golf at age 16 and has competed in two U.S. Mid-Amateur championships (1982 and 1984) as well as two British Amateurs (1973 and 1985).

Driver began his USGA service in 1997 as the Association’s general counsel. He was USGA treasurer (2000-2001) and vice president (2002-2005) before being elected president. He served as chairman of the USGA’s Championship committee in 2004-2005 and chair of the Equipment Standards committee in 2002-2003.

He and his wife, Bettie, have three adult children.

The IGF was founded in 1958 to encourage the international development of the game and to employ golf as a vehicle to foster friendship and sportsmanship. Recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the official international federation for golf, the IGF comprises the national governing bodies of golf in more than 100 countries.

As one of its main functions, the IGF conducts the World Amateur Team Championships for women and men on a biennial basis. The 2006 championships are scheduled for South Africa. The championships for the Espirito Santo Trophy (women’s competition) and the Eisenhower Trophy (men’s competition) are set for 18-21 October and 26-29 October at DeZalze Golf Club and Stellenbosch Golf Club near Cape Town.

For more information on the IGF, contact Stephanie Parel, IGF joint deputy secretary, at (908) 234-2300 (USA) or visit www.internationalgolffederation.org.