(Pictured: President Beau Welling © WCF / Céline Stucki)

The World Curling Federation member associations elected Beau Welling of Greenville, S.C., as president at the Annual General Assembly, according to the Federation.

Welling was elected in the second round of voting and replaces President Kate Caithness CBE at the conclusion of her 12-year term of office.

Welling is the 11th President of the World Curling Federation — previously the International Curling Federation — and is the second President from the United States of America, following Dr. Donald F. Barcome from 1988–1990.

Welling was elected as a board member of the World Curling Federation in 2018, with his original four-year term concluding this year.

Welling was the chair of the Structural Review Group and prior to his time with the World Curling Federation was an independent board director of the United States Curling Association from 2007 until 2018.

Welling is founder and president of Beau Welling Design, a golf course design and development company based in Greenville, S.C.

Said Welling: “I feel an incredible sense of responsibility and at the same time an incredible sense of excitement about the future of curling. I look forward to working with our members to advance the sport of curling to higher levels and to continue the great work that Kate Caithness has done. I want to honor her legacy by continuing to drive the sport forward.”

Presidential voting numbers

Round one

Beau Welling (USA) – 117 votes (48.55 percent)

Hugh Millikin (AUS) – 56 votes (23.24 percent)

Graham Prouse (CAN) – 35 votes (14.52 percent)

Bent Ramsfjell (NOR) – 33 votes (13.69 percent).

Round two

Beau Welling (USA) – 127 votes (52.70 percent)

Hugh Millikin (AUS) – 73 votes (32.29 percent)

Graham Prouse (CAN) – 41 votes (17.01 percent).