Whyte's nomination to become chairman of the Women's Division and the Women's Committee was ratified during the World Amateur Team Championships in Germany in August 2000. The chairman is elected for a two-year term, but may be re-elected for a total of three terms, long enough to assist in the administration of the championships conducted in each of three geographic zones.

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 90 countries.

As one of its main functions, the IGF conducts the World Amateur Team Championships for women and men on a biennial basis. Future championships are scheduled for 2002 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and 2004 in Puerto Rico.

As women's chairman, Whyte will work closely with the joint secretaries of the IGF , Peter Dawson and David Fay, as well as with the joint chairmen, Neil Crichton and Trey Holland.

"I feel very honored to be elected to this position which has been held only by two very special women before me, Patricia and Lally Segard (France)," Whyte said. "I am very excited about the idea of working with the IGF ."

Whyte recently was elected to a second three-year term as president of the Rio de Janeiro Golf Federation, and has been the women's director of the Brazilian Golf Confederation for four years. She is also on the Rules and Regulations Committee of the South American Golf Federation, and is the only female rules official in South America.

Whyte, who plays to a Handicap Index of 6.0, has represented Brazil as a player several times, both in South American competitions and globally. A mother of two sons both attending college in the United States, Whyte is a resident of Rio de Janeiro. She graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a major in history and a degree in translating.

For more information on the IGF , contact Stephanie Parel, IGF joint deputy secretary, at (908) 234-2300.