Derek Sprague stepped down as PGA of America CEO on January 9, 2026, after just 12 months in the role. The reason he cited was that he wanted to focus on family. But one prominent insider isn’t buying the family-first narrative. He called out an “amateurish” pattern that’s quietly gutting golf’s leadership ranks and exposing deep dysfunction.

Golf Channel’s Eamon Lynch didn’t mince words when discussing the matter with Rich Lerner, saying, “The only organization in this game that’s run by professionals continues to show how amateurish it is on a day-by-day basis. This is an unserious organization fundamentally.”

He also drew a comparison to explain how complex things are behind the executive doors. The world’s five biggest corporations, NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, and Microsoft, have an average of 11 board members. Meanwhile, the PGA of America has 22.

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“Too many voices in the room, too many noses in the trough,” Lynch explained.

The real issue goes deeper. Every two years, a new club professional takes over as president. The CEO answers to this group of rotating leaders, each of whom wants to change priorities to ensure that their own term leaves a mark.

“It’s not a recipe for success,” Lynch said.

In his Golfweek column, Lynch had been more measured, writing, “Sprague is a good man and deserves to be taken at face value…But the underlying dysfunction was an open wound during his short tenure, and it’s possible he just tired of it quickly.”

The Bethpage disaster proved Lynch’s point.

Sprague’s exit follows the 2025 Ryder Cup disaster at Bethpage Black. American fans yelled curse words at European players, and chants like “F*** your five-year-old.” Additionally, someone threw beer at Erica Stoll, Rory McIlroy’s wife, as she walked along the ropes. Luke Donald, the captain of Team Europe, later said that hundreds, maybe thousands, of fans crossed the line.

But PGA president Don Rea refused to apologize. He compared the toxic atmosphere to “a youth soccer game” and posted on LinkedIn that he wasn’t bothered by criticism. And Donald didn’t shy away from pointing out the leadership failure.

Looking at PGA America’s history, this pattern isn’t new.

PGA America’s former CEO, Seth Waugh, an ex-Deutsche Bank Americas head with serious business credentials, quit in 2024 citing that he was “weary of the nonsense around the governance structure.” After him, Sprague took over as he was part of that 22-member table and knew the organization inside out. Unlike Waugh, he wasn’t an outsider, and yet, he chose to walk away. This exposes the flaws in the leadership structure.

All in all, Sprague’s exit creates a worrisome situation. The PGA Championship starts in May, and key executives have left in recent months. Kerry Haigh is serving as interim CEO while they search for a permanent replacement. It will be interesting to see who takes the role now.

Interestingly, this leadership change isn’t unique to the PGA of America; the LPGA is also going through significant changes.

LPGA leadership shifts and broader golf governance trends

Brian Carroll, the LPGA’s Executive Vice President of Production and Content, has resigned after 15 years, signalling a shift in leadership for the LPGA. The departure leaves a gap at a time when the tour is seeking more media coverage and partnerships worldwide.

A spokesperson for the LPGA said that Carroll’s position will not be filled right away. Instead, interim leadership will keep things running smoothly while the organization determines its strategic needs going forward. The statement makes it clear that the organization is undergoing a recalibration rather than experiencing sudden instability.

Carroll’s departure comes at the same time as new media and sponsorship efforts, including major international streaming deals and an expanded schedule. Golf industry experts think this change is part of a bigger trend in women’s golf and business strategy.

The changes at the PGA of America and LPGA are both signs of a turning point in how major golf organizations are run and led. How these groups stabilize their executive ranks will affect how well they run their businesses from now until 2026 and beyond.