1 week ago
Don Rea Jr, who was cricitized for his consequence to verbal abuse directed astatine European players during past year’s Ryder Cup, is retired arsenic president of nan PGA of America, effective immediately.
Tuesday’s news came connected nan heels of nan PGA of America’s committee of board suspending Rea for nan remainder of his two-year term, which ends successful November. PGA of America vice-president Nathan Charnes was named acting president.
Rea came nether occurrence for failing to apologize amid a raucous New York crowd hurling individual insults astatine Rory McIlroy and his family during nan Ryder Cup astatine Bethpage Black past September. An MC astatine nan arena resigned aft she led chants of “Fuck you, Rory” aimed astatine McIlroy; homophobic slurs were shouted astatine golfers; players’ wives were insulted. McIlroy said his wife, Erica, was deed by a beer that was thrown during play. At 1 point, he pushed back, telling a spectator to “shut nan fuck up” during a foursomes match.
In an question and reply connected nan Sunday greeting of nan Cup, Rea dismissed nan maltreatment arsenic nary worse than what’s said astatine “a younker shot game” and said nan behaviour was distracting American players because they had to expend power helping to power nan crowd.
“You’ve sewage 50,000 group present that are really excited, and heck, you could spell to a younker shot crippled and get immoderate group who opportunity nan incorrect things,” he told nan BBC.
A week later, Rea apologized to PGA of America members successful an email, saying immoderate instrumentality behaviour had “clearly crossed nan line” and that it was “disrespectful, inappropriate, and not representative” of nan organization.
Rea was besides caught connected video performing a karaoke type of Eminem’s Lose Yourself erstwhile nan US trailed Europe by 7 points. He ruffled feathers astatine nan extremity of nan matches, erstwhile he said Europe “retained” nan Cup alternatively than won it outright during nan trophy presentation.
Rea had been nan president of nan PGA of America since November 2024. In 2014, nan statement removed Ted Bishop from his post arsenic president aft he called English golfer Ian Poulter a “lil girl” successful a tweet.
