Don Rea Pga Removal: PGA of America Replaces President After Ryder Cup Backlash

Don Rea’s don rea pga removal from the PGA of America presidency was made immediate late Friday afternoon after the organization said a series of issues over time had become detrimental to the Association. Nathan Charnes moved from vice president to acting president and will serve until November.

The change arrives after months of fallout tied to last September’s Ryder Cup, where Rea drew criticism for comments he made during the event and for a karaoke video that circulated afterward. His two-year term was due to end in November anyway, but the PGA of America moved before then.

Ryder Cup fallout for Rea

Rea’s most scrutinized moment came on the Sunday of the Ryder Cup, when he told the that there were 50,000 people at the event who were really excited. He also said booing somebody typically makes them play better and that when American players have to control the crowds, that distracts from playing.

He later said, “I haven’t heard some of that,” and added, “I’m sure it’s happened. You know, it happens when we’re over in Rome on the other side. And Rory understands. I thought he handled the press conference yesterday amazingly. But yeah, things like that are going to happen. I don’t know what was said. But all I know is golf is the engine of good.”

The day after those remarks, Rea wrote to PGA of America members and apologized, saying, “While it wasn’t my intention, some of my comments were seen in a negative light which reflects poorly on not only myself but also on the PGA of America and for that I truly apologize.”

Charnes takes over immediately

By February, Golfweek’s Adam Schupak reported that Rea had been reassigned to handle “member-first priorities,” and Terry Clark later said Rea had been focused on “how we think about our membership.” Clark also said, “I think you’re specifically talking to Don and his comments,” and, “Specifically, what we’ve asked is for Don to keep his focus on the member side, and we’ve tried to keep the right responsibilities across our distinct leaders in here. So that’s it.”

Rea was not publicly seen at last week’s PGA Championship, another sign his role had already narrowed before the presidency changed hands. The PGA of America’s decision now puts Charnes in charge through November, ending Rea’s run before the original term would have expired.