Former PGA of America president Ted Bishop made a huge mistake ten years ago that still weighs on his mind, and he regrets it to this day. Bishop was removed from his position after he called popular golfer Ian Poulter a "lil girl."
In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Bob Harig, Bishop opened up about that moment.
He had posted the comment on social media, referring to Poulter as a "lil girl."
Although he deleted the post shortly after, the damage was irreversible.
Ian Poulter clearly has not forgotten that moment, as he criticized Bishop in his autobiography, stressing that a leader of such an organization should never have allowed himself to make such a remark.
Bishop had serious ambitions as president of the PGA of America. He wanted to make concrete moves to help the organization progress and improve the sport of golf. From this perspective, the experienced golf figure understands that his mistake is irreversible.
He has felt many consequences of his error and admits that there isn't a day that goes by without thinking about it. Although he wanted his story with the PGA of America to end in a great way, his hasty decision made sure it ended quite differently. Bishop emphasizes that he was influenced by everything that happened at the Ryder Cup and reacted impulsively.
Ted Bishop on Ryder Cup chaos in 2014
Bishop has experienced a lot in his life, especially with his long history in golf. He recalls significant moments, particularly his time as president of the PGA of America. One of the most memorable events for him is the 2014 Ryder Cup, where the European team triumphed over the U.S. team in Scotland. The captains for that event were Paul McGinley for Europe and Tom Watson for the USA. The 2014 Ryder Cup is special for many reasons.
This experienced figure reflects on the circumstances surrounding the American teams loss, pointing out that many overlook key players who werent part of the squad. He mentions that Tiger Woods, despite having won five times in 2013, was struggling after back surgery. Additionally, Dustin Johnson was suspended at that time, and Jason Dufner, who had been part of the 2012 team and won the 2013 PGA, was injured. He adds that the events of Sunday night only intensified the situation, making it even more difficult for the team.
Bishop stressed that during the 2014 Ryder Cup, there was a clear divide between Tom Watson and Phil Mickelson, with the PGA of America leaning more toward Mickelson's side. Even though Watson was a former champion and expected to lead the U.S. team, some members turned their backs on him.
It seems that at that time the key people of the PGA of America were not sure what moves they should make and what the right decisions were. A careful analysis had to be done, and to determine who could be the captain of the team. However, the situation was obviously chaotic among the PGA of America staff, who were not quite sure who could bring them more benefits.
Ironically, just before the matches, Pete Bevacqua, who was the CEO of the PGA of America at the time, suggested that if the team won, they should definitely consider bringing Watson back as captain.
The former PGA of America president admitted that he had a difficult few years after he was removed from that position. He revealed that he had a hard time accepting such a decision, and had a bad attitude. However, after some time, Watson points out that he was relieved of many things and that he accepted things as they were.
After that, this experienced man found himself in other things, he found another purpose, and he realized that there was no need to go too much into what happened. Being the president of the PGA of America is a great honor and responsibility, and Bishop can be happy that he had such an adventure and great experience in his life.
