Schupak: Ten years (to the day) after his social media blunder cost him the presidency of the PGA, Ted Bishop deserves reinstatement

Ted Bishop has booked his travel for nan PGA of America’s upcoming yearly meeting, his first clip backmost successful a decade. The 38th president of nan relation of much than 30,000 play nine professionals is attending for 1 superior logic – to spot Crystal Morse, nan caput master astatine The Legends Golf Club, nan people he operates successful Franklin, Indiana, person nan PGA’s Player Development Award.

There’s a spot of delicious irony that conscionable weeks removed from nan 10-year day of Bishop’s impeachment arsenic president of nan PGA for making sexist comments connected societal media that his female protege, who besides doubles arsenic Bishop’s co-head coach of nan Franklin Community boys and girls play teams, is being honored pinch a nationalist grant connected Nov. 5 successful Grand Rapids, Michigan. If that isn’t rich | capable for you, Bishop is scheduled to person nan Sam Snead Award from nan Metropolitan Section of nan PGA connected Nov. 14, recognizing his “exceptional contributions to nan Met conception and nan broader play community.”

“I was humbled beyond words erstwhile nan Met PGA informed maine of this awesome honor,” Bishop said successful a merchandise announcing nan award. Speaking to Golfweek, he added, “This is 1 of nan top honors ever bestowed upon me.”

Ten years ago, Bishop was humbled successful a very different way, ousted from his unpaid occupation little than a period earlier his word was to end.

“It seems for illustration it was 100 years,” Bishop said. “But location is not a azygous time that goes by that I don’t deliberation astir that and I don’t regret it. The biggest regret of my life is nan measurement it each ended.”

On Oct. 23, 2014, Bishop said he felt compelled to take sides nan grounds of Hall of Famers Nick Faldo and Tom Watson, who had been disparaged successful Ian Poulter’s recently-released autobiography. On Twitter, he wrote, “Faldo’s grounds stands by itself. Six fields and all-time RC points. Yours vs His? Lil Girl.”

If Bishop’s connection was unclear owed to nan 140-character limit of Twitter, he elaborated connected Facebook.

“Used to beryllium athletes who had lesser records aliases accomplishments successful a athletics ne'er criticized nan icons. Tom Watson (8 fields and a 10-4-1 Ryder Cup record) and Nick Faldo (6 fields and all-time Ryder Cup points leader) get bashed by Ian James Poulter. Really? Sounds for illustration a small schoolhouse woman squealing during recess. C’MON MAN!”

It’s difficult to fathom that Twitter (now X) has been astir for a decade but Bishop’s politically incorrect tweet offended a wide swath of nan crippled he purported to represent. Despite deleting nan posts successful short order, he was subsequently canceled earlier that word became successful vogue.

Bishop apologized for abusing his position of powerfulness but nan PGA’s committee shifted into harm power mode and erstwhile Bishop refused to measurement down, it voted to impeach him. As a result, he wouldn’t beryllium classified arsenic an A-5 member, nan nickname of a past PGA president. He’s nan only past PGA president required to salary dues and still gain his recertification. Nor has he been invited to PGA Championships and Ryder Cups, aliases bestowed immoderate different courtesies extended to past presidents, including serving nan customary domiciled arsenic honorary president arsenic good arsenic skipper of nan U.S. broadside astatine a PGA Cup and for a Junior Ryder Cup team.

The reward ne'er seemed to fresh nan crime for an individual who astatine person glimpse had championed nan women’s game, hosting each important statewide women’s play title successful Indiana astatine his installation since it opened successful 1992. He helped create nan Indiana Women’s Open and hosted nan first 10 years of its existence. Both of his daughters – Asheley, who useful astatine nan Legends GC on pinch her husband, and Ambry, nan women’s caput play coach astatine St. John’s University for nan past 2 decades and an adjunct pro astatine nan Saint Andrews Golf Club successful New York, had followed successful his footsteps.

One of Bishop’s supporters told him that nan PGA gave him nan decease punishment for shoplifting. Ken Willis of nan Daytona Beach News-Journal wrote: “There’s reaction, there’s overreaction, and there’s nan utter carpet-bombing exhibited by executives of the PGA of America, whose blitzkrieg really took down conscionable 1 man.”

What whitethorn person bruised Bishop astir was that then-PGA CEO Pete Bevacqua stood by arsenic nan committee trim him loose. (Only LPGA awesome and CBS Sports play commentator Dottie Pepper, who was an independent head connected nan PGA board, abstained from nan different unanimous vote.)

“A feline I hired, promoted and formed a tremendously productive moving narration with,” is really Bishop described Bevacqua successful a photograph caption successful his book “Unfriended,” of nan 2 of them successful happier times. “I can’t thief but consciousness betrayed and unfriended by Pete much than anyone else.”

Bishop was elected to PGA membership successful September 1985 and had served successful a activity capacity astatine either nan conception aliases nationalist levels since 1989. He began his two-year word successful agency successful 2013 and almost immediately, he became embroiled successful nan anchoring debate, thrust into nan spotlight arsenic nan sound of nan PGA’s arguable stance other nan USGA and its projected Rule 14-1b. He had been portrayed mostly arsenic a hard-nosed, no-nonsense maverick who delighted successful going against nan atom – for example, erstwhile he unexpectedly chose Tom Watson arsenic nan adjacent Ryder Cup captain.

Bishop did a batch of bully successful his domiciled arsenic PGA president – though immoderate mightiness reason he recovered proceeding really ain sound excessively intoxicating – and past 1 time it was each complete owed to a foolish fewer words he typed connected societal media. Bishop struggled pinch nan adjustment.

“I mean, I was bitter. I conscionable had a bad attitude. I was benignant of getting focused connected possibly immoderate of nan incorrect things,” he said.

“I felt galore emotions aft my impeachment,” he wrote successful his autobiography “Unfriended.” “Embarrassment, despair, rejection, betrayal, anger and slump would champion picture my intelligence authorities successful nan weeks that followed my unceremonious autumn from grace successful golf. It was an highly reliable clip for my family and me.”

Time has healed immoderate of nan wounds. Tom Watson, who Bishop championed arsenic U.S. Ryder Cup successful 2014, erstwhile PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, and Donald Trump, earlier he shifted into politics, were among his friends who lent their support. A fewer weeks aft Bishop was removed from his post, past USGA president Glen Nager, who departed a akin unpaid occupation connected not-the-best-of-terms, reached retired to Bishop and offered what proved to beryllium immoderate wise words of wisdom.

“He told maine thing astatine nan clip that I didn’t really recognize really existent it was, but he couldn’t person been immoderate much accurate. And he said, ‘You cognize nan quality betwixt you and me? You fundamentally spent your full life serving nan PGA of America.’ And he said, ‘I served USGA, but successful a overmuch shorter capacity.’ And he said it took him astir a twelvemonth to get complete everything that benignant of happened astatine nan extremity of his word pinch nan USGA. And he said, ‘It will return you astir apt 5 years to get complete this.’ You cognize what? He was right, almost to nan day.”

But that changed successful nan autumn of 2019 erstwhile Bishop made a travel to nan PGA’s then-headquarters successful Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, astatine nan encouragement of Tony Pancake, nan head of play astatine Crooked Stick successful Carmel, Indiana, and nan 2024 PGA Club Professional of nan Year, and Mike David, nan executive head of nan Indiana PGA Section. The 2 longtime Bishop supporters orchestrated down nan scenes for Bishop to beryllium fixed an opportunity to reside nan committee and opportunity his peace. David and Pancake accompanied Bishop connected nan travel but weren’t permitted to beryllium successful connected nan meeting. It was nan first clip Bishop had stood successful beforehand of nan committee since he’d been impeached and he asked for forgiveness and for his authorities arsenic a PGA president to beryllium reinstated.

“I retrieve stepping retired of there, and I told Tony and Mike, “You cognize what? I don’t cognize what’s going to hap from here, but I’ll show you this, I consciousness for illustration I’ve had nan weight of nan world lifted disconnected my shoulders, and I consciousness for illustration this yet brings closure to this situation.”

In 2017 aliases 2018 – he couldn’t beryllium judge – Bishop already had made amends pinch Bevacqua. (Multiple calls and texts requesting an question and reply pinch Bevacqua weren’t answered earlier this communicative was published.)

“We reconciled everything, and I consciousness for illustration we’re bully friends today,” Bishop said.

In fact, Bevacqua sent an email connected Bishop’s behalf asking for his PGA authorities to beryllium reinstated, but that petition and Bishop’s efforts astatine nan committee gathering fell connected deaf ears. That determination reeks of hypocrisy fixed really nan PGA’s activity handled a much caller situation. In 2018, Paul Levy was successful nan mediate of his presidency pinch nan PGA erstwhile he was arrested and charged pinch suspicion of driving nether nan power of alcohol. Despite nan truth that Levy could person injured aliases killed guiltless motorists while down nan instrumentality successful his condition, nan PGA stood by him and Levy served retired nan remainder of his word and retained each nan privileges of a past president erstwhile his word successful agency concluded.

David, for one, continues to run to nan nationalist officers connected Bishop’s behalf, and mused that his unceremonious exit arsenic PGA president still bothers him much than he will admit.

“I’m dumbfounded that we person not reinstated him,” David said. “A 10-year condemnation is agelong enough. From nan standpoint of nan Indiana PGA, we consciousness he deserves amended than this. He has served his clip and nan continued prohibition astatine this constituent is ridiculous.”

Bishop could’ve crawled into a spread and disassociated himself from nan PGA but alternatively he dove into his activity arsenic wide head and head of play astatine The Legends Golf Club successful Franklin, Ind., a daily-fee installation wherever he oversaw nan building and improvement of what primitively was a 45-hole complex. He’s assumed nan domiciled of full-time superintendent, too, and often tin beryllium recovered down nan beforehand table aliases answering nan phone. He besides poured his power into his section conception and became progressive successful respective committees for nan Indiana PGA section, and successful nan past 5 years he’s recovered his top fulfillment successful coaching and mentoring precocious schoolhouse teams.

Bishop bursts pinch pridefulness erstwhile he talks astir nan Franklin Grizzly Cubs women’s team, which has won nan mid-state title six consecutive years and conscionable won nan first sectional since 2005, nan first location since 1999 and vanished 5th successful nan state.

“I’ve gotten arsenic overmuch pleasance coaching nan girls arsenic I person nan boys,” Bishop said.

He’s simply trying to support up pinch woman Cindy, who coached nan schoolhouse to respective titles erstwhile daughters Asheley and Ambry starred for nan team.

“It’s for illustration my profession almost has travel a complete 360,” Bishop said.

And while nan PGA’s committee has yet to spot nan light, it couldn’t disregard nan occurrence that Morse, Bishop’s co-coach, has made connected nan improvement broadside of nan crippled astatine his facility; moreover, nan Met PGA grant proves that galore PGA professionals are consenting to forgive 1 correction and look astatine Bishop’s afloat assemblage of work.

He was difficult astatine activity pinch his son-in-law successful nan backmost room astatine his nine while Asheley was prepping for a catering occupation erstwhile nan Met PGA phoned him pinch nan news of nan Sam Snead Award. Bishop didn’t request to beryllium fixed an grant to cognize he’s been making a quality some adjacent and far, but it did consciousness for illustration validation.

“He collapsed down and was truthful affectional erstwhile he hung up nan phone,” Asheley recalled.

Ten years later, Bishop’s profession deserves to beryllium remembered for much than 2 words. He’s demonstrated successful his 2nd enactment that play is amended pinch him successful it.