PGA Prez On USGA News: "It’s just not the right way to do things.”

I linked it yesterday, but bless Ed Sherman for transcribing other key parts of Ted Bishop's interview with Matt Adams for us scribblers who like our quotes in writing.

You can listen to the show here, but note what Bishop said about announcements in the window of big events, strongly denying any relationship between the Golfweek story on Bethpage and the U.S. Amateur, whether there's bad blood between the organizations, and other stuff. Tip of the cap to Adams for strong questions, too.

Adams:  “Is there an unspoken rule among golf governing bodies that when they have an event going on that is so important that you kind of leave it alone?”

Bishop:  “Well obviously there’s not. (laughs)  There’s not at least within the circles of one of golf’s governing bodies.  But I don’t think that anybody would have made that announcement during the Masters.  I don’t think the USGA would have made that announcement during the Open Championship, and I can unequivocally tell you that the PGA of America would not make any kind of a major announcement that would upstage any one of our major championship partners, nor the PGA TOUR.  It’s just not the right way to do things.”

Now, in the defense of some of these groups, golf has very few windows to announce news. Still, as I outlined here thanks to Adam Schupak's reporting, the dates for the bid process were long set to wrap up during PGA week. The USGA long knew it would reach this decision and announce during the PGA Championship. Low, low class stuff.

Comments

[JS]

It was a very petty & blatantly obvious move on the USGA's part. As golf's supposed governing body, they should hold themselves to the same high standards of etiquette and behavior they promote.

A direct shot at the PGA for stating their own opinion on the anchoring issue. That "discussion" period was clearly just for show. It's sad they attempted to upstage the PGA Championship.

[JS]

Other than the hysteria here...how did this announcement impact the PGA Championshop?

[JS]

Not sure who used the same initials as me in the above post but to answer your question....

While there was no direct impact on the championship, there's a simple issue of respect here. The spotlight was clearly on the PGA for the week and the ill timed announcement from the USGA certainly distracted from that a bit.

It's basic common sense and a violation of an unwritten code of respect with these organizations. It was clear to see that the USGA purposely went ahead with the announcement. They seemed like the schoolyard brat in this instance.

[TerryMalloy]

Very poor form by the USGA and great point about the Masters.

[Sunny]

I am normally one of the first to call out the USGA on things, but Shupak's story made it pretty clear that a delay was not possible given the overpriced offer and that a delayed annoucement would leak. Now to the point that Geoff makes on the contract terms, I think he is giving the USGA too much credit. There is a better chance that they baked that window in a long time ago and never thought that an annoucement would happen so fast when compared to the theory that it was some scheme to upstage the PGA.

[Anguis]

Didn't the PGA of America boisterously lobby for anchoring ? Didn't they try to visit Arnold to sway him (and others) ? They certainly could have made their positions known more delicately - couldn't they ?

As I stated in another forum - you don't let pimps make laws on prostitution, you don't let drug dealers make drug laws and you certainly don't let the gadget, lesson and equipment pimps at the PGA of America write equipment rules.

As for the USGA's announcement during PGA week - who freakin cares - It affected absolutely nothing. Pillow Fight !!!

[Carl Peterson]

The anchoring prohibition is NOT an equipment rule - it's a 'use of equipment rule.'

That said, both the PGA and the PGA TOUR are represented on the USGA RoGC and should, IMO, have held their tongues once that body (along with the R&A) made its decision on the matter.

[ol Harv]

Just another poor decision made during the leadership of Mike Davis. Would these things have gone on during the David Fay days or Frank Hannigan days? I don't remember such.