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The PGA of America will have a new CEO once again this year.
Derek Sprague announced on Wednesday that he will be stepping down as the PGA of America’s CEO this month in order to return to upstate New York and help both his mother and mother-in-law, who he said are needing more care as they get older.
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Sprague will remain in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition with the next CEO, which the PGA of America said it expects to announce in the coming weeks.
“At my daughter’s wedding last month in upstate New York, it became clear that my family needs me nearby to assist with the care of my mother and mother‑in‑law,” Sprague said in a statement. “Focusing on family has become my priority, and the best decision for me is to step away from my role as CEO and return home to be with them.
“Serving as CEO of the PGA of America over the past year has been an incredible honor, and I will always be grateful for the trust placed in me by the Board and thank them for their understanding. I also want to thank our staff for their tireless dedication. Their passion and commitment inspire me, and I know the Association will continue to thrive as it carries forward the proud mission of serving our members and growing the game.”
The PGA of America is separate from the PGA Tour. It has roughly 30,000 professionals throughout the country, and is in charge of both the Ryder Cup when it is held in the United States and the men’s, women’s and senior PGA Championships each season.
Sprague became a PGA of America member back in 1993, and has held several leadership roles there throughout his time with the organization, including serving as its president from 2014-16. He was selected to replace former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO Seth Waugh as the PGA of America’s CEO last January, which made him the first former president to take that job.
Sprague was also in charge of overseeing the Ryder Cup last fall at Bethpage Black, where the Americans fell to Europe in a rough outing despite a surprising late surge on Sunday. There was plenty of criticism from the Europeans over fan behavior at that event, and Sprague ended up reaching out to Rory McIlroy to apologize for the verbal abuse that he and his wife Erica received throughout the tournament.
“I got a lovely email from Derek Sprague apologizing,” McIlroy said in November, via the BBC. “Erica worked with Derek at the PGA of America back in the day, so we know Derek and his wife pretty well. He couldn’t have been more gracious or apologetic and he wrote us a lovely letter, which we really appreciated.”
Sprague’s resignation marks the second major leadership shakeup in professional golf in recent months. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan is going to step down at the end of his contract later this year, and the Tour hired former NFL executive Brian Rolapp as the new CEO to take over day-to-day operations.
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The PGA Tour’s season will start next week with the Sony Open at the Wai’alae Country Club in Hawaii.
English (US) ·