The PGA of America President, Don Rea, came under fire following the Ryder Cup after his comments about the New York crowd.
After Rory McIlroy endured abuse from Ryder Cup fans, which included having a beer thrown at him and his wife on Saturday evening, Rea said that these things are simply “going to happen”.
He told the BBC, “Well, you have 50,000 people there that are really excited and – heck – you can go to a youth soccer game and get some people who say the wrong things.
“It happened when we were in Rome on the other side, and Rory understands… things like that are going to happen, and I don’t know what was said. But all I know is golf, the engine of good.”
Matt Fitzpatrick responded to Rea’s comments, saying, “I saw the interview with the PGA guy discussing about it was the same in Rome. It’s pretty offensive to European fans the fact that he said that, really.”
Rea also faced a wave of fan backlash, but instead of apologizing, he issued a strange statement on social media.
Don Rea doubles down on Rory McIlroy comments after Ryder Cup
Fitzpatrick’s comments echoed the sentiments of thousands of fans, both American and European. And since Rea represents the 31,000 members of the PGA of America, many expected him to walk back those comments and apologize.
Instead, he posted the following on LinkedIn: “Couple thoughts. This is my profile not the PGA’s. That being said, thank you to all that have reached out to me as a friend and golf industry leader.
“I’m personally taking some criticism right now and that comes with the role and just like when I was an umpire, I expect it.
“However, to the students and PGA members that follow me, know this, I am not bothered. I know who I ultimately serve. When I wrote this sermon 3 years ago I meant it and today I am living it. The truth is still the truth. New level. New devil.”
The post links to a sermon Rea gave two years ago on Bethel Chandler’s YouTube. During the sermon, Rea speaks of “New Level, New Devil”, the idea that as you advance spiritually, challenges also intensify.
It doesn’t appear that Rea has any intention of walking his comments back. That’s a problem for the PGA of America, whose CEO, Derek Sprague, said he is “certainly not happy with what happened this week.”
Someone has to buckle if the organization is to get on the same page.
Rory McIlroy said Europe will tell Irish fans that New York behavior was ‘unacceptable’
As always, the Americans had to endure chants and heckles during the Ryder Cup in Rome, but there were no reports of anything to the level of what we saw in Bethpage Black.
And after the event, McIlroy said that Team Europe will ensure that we don’t see the same behavior from the fans at Adare Manor in 2027.
He said, “This should not be what is acceptable in the Ryder Cup. But we will be making sure to say to our fans in Ireland in 2027, what happened here this week is not acceptable.”
Justin Thomas was one of a few American players attempting to play peacemaker. Yes, he was firing up the crowd at times, but never at McIlroy’s expense. The American veteran looked embarrassed at times by the fan behavior.
Thomas told McIlroy that he felt for him after the round, as well as his partner Shane Lowry, who also fell victim to the fan abuse.
We are unlikely to see the same behavior in Ireland, but McIlroy and Europe have made it clear that it will not be accepted.
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