Former PGA President Ted Bishop Apologizes To Golf Community (Video)

By Cameron La Fontaine | Oct 28, 2014

Aug 5, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; PGA president Ted Bishop speaks during a press conference held during practice for the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Former PGA president Ted Bishop went on the Golf Channel to apologize and talk about his actions that led to his firing.

Ted Bishop, the former PGA of America president, was fired from his job last Friday after offensive comments that were made to golfer Ian Poulter about his recently published book that had negative things to say about golf legend Nick Faldo. Ted Bishop spoke on air for the first time Tuesday on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive.

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“I really regret, like you can’t imagine, what I did and what I said, particularly the implication that came out of it,” Bishop told Gary Williams on “Morning Drive” while wearing a PGA pullover.

The Ted Bishop controversey began when he posted comments on Poulter’s newly released autobiography on his Twitter and Facebook coming after Poulter for comments against Nick Faldo and U.S. Ryder Cup captain in 2014, Tom Watson.

“I think what I was really trying to say was, ‘Why don’t we all grow up?'” he said. “I’m just old-school from the standpoint that I think icons in the game should be treated with a certain amount of reverence, and I felt like that didn’t happen necessarily with Tom after the Ryder Cup, and it wasn’t happening with Nick then.”

Bishop said that his position required him to be unbiased, but his personal opinions got in the way of that.

“I’ve got to know my position as the president of the PGA of America, and I can’t be a fan of golf,” he said. “I can’t be Ted Bishop and have personal opinions on this subject, but obviously that’s what happened.”

Ted Bishop lost one of the most prestigious jobs in the golf world, and will miss out on any affiliations a past president may have with the PGA of America.

“I created this mess. It’s my fault. It’s not the PGA of America’s fault, it’s my fault,” he said. “I don’t think the punishment fits the crime, but it is what it is and I have to accept that, and I’m not bitter about that in any way, shape or form.”

PGA vice president Derek Sprague has taken over as the organization’s interim president in the meantime.

You can see Bishop’s entire interview with Morning Drive below.

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