Future Plc brand Golf Monthly has announced that Neil Tappin is take over the position of editor from Mike Harris after the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in July.
Tappin joined Golf Monthly in 2002 as a work experience student, becoming instruction editor in 2007 and has led the brand’s digital content operation since 2012, overseeing the growth of the website and digital channels. He will become only the ninth editor of Golf Monthly in its 112-year history.
Harris will continue at Golf Monthly as content director, overseeing the brand’s strategic development and focusing his time on special projects and developing the US side of the business.
Tappin said: “I’m excited and privileged to be succeeding Mike Harris as editor of Golf Monthly. During his time at the helm, Mike has skilfully navigated the brand through huge change within the media landscape and leaves it in excellent shape. Leading the brilliant editorial team is a huge honour as we continue our strategy of building an engaged, high-intent golf audience, both online and in print.”
He added: “This is an exciting time for golf, with significant changes afoot at both professional and amateur level. We intend to grasp the opportunity ahead by ensuring Golf Monthly continues to bring golfers and golf fans closer to the game they love.”
Harris said: “It’s been an enormous privilege to have been editor of Golf Monthly for the past 17 years, but I am absolutely delighted to be handing over to Neil. We have worked closely for 20 years and he has been pivotal to the brand’s growth and evolution from a UK heritage print title to one of the world’s leading multi-platform golf media brands.”
Tappin’s promotion will be part of a wider restructure of the brand’s content operation with current Technical Editor Joel Tadman taking on the role of deputy editor and the team underneath them being aligned to build on the significant growth the brand has undergone since becoming part of Future in 2020.
golfmonthly.com is now ranked the fourth most popular golf website in the US, according to Commscore, with a peak monthly global audience of 4.3m unique users, and it has developed a market leading e-commerce business driving over $10m of direct sales in the past 12 months to partner retailers through ‘Hawk’, Future Plc’s proprietary e-commerce technology.
Commenting on the new appointments, Future Sports managing director Dave Clutterbuck said: “It’s fantastic to see Golf Monthly in such safe hands as we seek to further grow this venerable brand. We’re excited to see where this team can take us as the game of golf continues to develop.”
For further information, contact neil.tappin@futurenet.com or michael.harris@futurenet.com.