Don Rea Jr. out as PGA of America president; Nathan Charnes takes over role
Don Rea is out as the president of the PGA of America. In a Friday news dump ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, the PGA said its Board of Directors announced a leadership transition following the suspension of Rea for the remainder of his term, which concludes in November. Vice President Nathan Charnes, PGA, has been elevated to serve as Acting President, effective immediately.
The board’s action followed a series of issues over time that, taken together, were determined to be detrimental to the Association. Rea was elected president in 2024 but has been silenced since the Ryder Cup concluded in early October after he fell under scrutiny for failing to apologize for the unruly American fan behavior that crossed the line with Rory McIlroy and other European Ryder Cuppers. He also was criticized for his part in an awkward trophy presentation in which he said that Europe had retained the Cup rather than won it outright.
Rea also went viral in a video that showed him doing karaoke on Saturday night while the U. S. side was getting pummeled.
Charnes will lead the officers and board of directors in carrying out the association’s governance responsibilities during this transition. Secretary Eric Eshleman, PGA, has been elevated to Vice President and will continue to serve in a dual role as vice president and secretary until November, when the association will hold its officer elections. These changes are limited to board leadership and do not affect the association’s executive leadership or day-to-day operations.
Rea is not the first PGA president to be removed from office during his tenure. In 2014, Ted Bishop, the 38 th PGA President, was unceremoniously impeached after he made a sexist remark on social media. Bishop was ousted from his volunteer job less than a month before his term was to end.