“I haven’t heard some of that, and I’m sure it has happened… Rory understands” is what the President of the PGA of America, Don Rea, said when he was asked about the abuse Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry faced at Bethpage. His blatant ignorance was met with a huge uproar as fans called him out for being blind. After days of facing scrutiny for his misguided statement, Rea finally gave his opinion on what he said at Bethpage. And he also added an apology along with his revised statement.

As Michael McEwan tweeted, he received an email from Don Rea a few minutes ago. He shared screenshots of the email that are relevant to the current situation connected with McIlroy. In that, Rea admitted, “Some fan behavior clearly crossed the line. It was disrespectful of who we are as the PGA of America or as PGA of America Golf Professionals.” He finally agreed with the fact that the fans at Bethpage had crossed limits when it came to heckling and abuse, much of which was directed at Rory McIlroy and even his wife.

In the email, Rea also mentioned, “Our CEO Derek Sprague has apologized on our behalf to Erica and Rory McIlroy and to everyone with Ryder Cup Europe. I would also like to personally apologize to them and all of you for not representing our association in the light with some of my comments in the media during the event.” Simply put, the PGA of America President admitted that the statement he made at Bethpage was wrong, and he regrets ignoring the issue at hand. His personal apology to Rory McIlroy & Erica Stoll might be the first step to closing the wounds that were first inflicted in New York.

Having said that, Don Rea may have had a change of heart today, but he didn’t think he owed anyone an apology about 24 hours ago. Let’s see what he said yesterday that may have gotten him some more heat from his peers.

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Did Don Rea repeat his mistake from Bethpage and stand his ground against Rory McIlroy & Co.?

As President of the PGA of America, Don Rea’s recent LinkedIn post sparked disappointment and criticism across the golf community. While he defended himself by writing, “This is my profile, not the PGA’s. I’m personally taking some criticism right now, and that comes with the role. However, to the students and PGA members who 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. 💪🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸,” many felt his words showed a lack of respect for the game.

One commenter said, “Golf is a game of respect and should, win or lose, be held in the highest regard and respect — I cannot see any of this here and it’s such a shame.”

Another was even more direct, writing, “You had goons disrespecting the game of golf and European players. Where did they come from? From a baseball game? Golf fans across the ocean have class, dignity, and appreciate good golf, irrespective of where the golfer comes from. By equating Bethpage fans to fans in Europe, you disgraced yourself. Resign.”

His message, rather than bringing people together, drew heavy backlash and raised doubts about his judgment as the sport’s leader. By standing by his remarks at Bethpage, he only fueled the criticism further, with many voices in the comments demanding that he step down from his position.

Rea’s comments didn’t sit well with Matt Fitzpatrick, as he mentioned how he didn’t like how Rea presented the Ryder Cup to them at Bethpage. After everything that happened in New York, on LinkedIn, and on social media in general, the PGA of America board must have certainly pressured Don Rea to release a statement seeking an apology from Rory McIlroy.