Report: PGA Of America President Set For PGA Championship Absence

A PGA of America flag — Don Rea will reportedly not be at the PGA Championship

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The second men’s Major of the season is just around the corner, with the PGA Championship beginning on May 17th at Aronimink Golf Club.

However, the event will reportedly take place without one of organizer the PGA of America’s senior figures in attendance.

Per Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, the president of the PGA of America, Don Rea, won’t be at the Pennsylvania venue during the tournament.

The report comes two months after it was revealed that Rea had seen his role reduced as well as being removed from two PGA Tour boards.

According to Carpenter, when contacted, the PGA of America referenced a statement released at that time, which said Rea’s responsibilities would be “aligned to member-first priorities for the remainder of his term.”

Rea was elected PGA of America president in 2024 for a two-year term, but his tenure has not been without its controversial moments, particularly at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Don Rea talks to the KPMG Women's PGA Championship crowd — Don Rea's tenure has had controversial moments

The Bethpage Black match was marred by crowd abuse of the European players, which Rea played down by comparing the New York crowd to the European fans in Rome two years earlier.

That received criticism, but Rea was initially defiant, writing on his LinkedIn profile that he was “not bothered" by the reaction, before later issuing an apology for his comments.

However, those weren’t the only controversies surrounding Rea at the match, with Team Europe’s Matt Fitzpatrick saying there was "a little bit of bitterness” after he congratulated the visitors for "retaining" the Ryder Cup at the trophy presentation when Luke Donald’s team had, in fact, claimed a conclusive 15-13 victory.

Adding to the fallout was footage that later emerged showing Rea on the Saturday night of the contest performing Lose Yourself by Eminem on karaoke.

That came at a stage where the US team faced the prospect of a crushing defeat before rallying the next day.

According to Carpenter, Rea’s expected absence from the PGA Championship means that, instead, PGA of America Vice President Nathan Charnes, CEO Terry Clark and Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh will attend the press conference ahead of the event.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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