PGA President Don Rea Jr., has been reassigned to handle “member-first priorities” as he finishes out his two-year term, which concludes in November, the PGA said on Thursday.
“As has been observed, PGA of America President Don Rea’s responsibilities are now aligned to member-first priorities for the remainder of his term,” the PGA tells Golfweek in an e-mailed statement sent a few hours after Golfweek’s initial story reporting that he no longer served on the PGA Tour’s board. “He will focus on board leadership, governance, section engagement and initiatives that directly support PGA of America golf professionals and reinforce the grassroots foundation of the Association. With the recent CEO leadership transition complete and a new president taking office this fall, these changes reflect the Board’s commitment to governance clarity, leadership alignment and sustained momentum for the Association.”
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Rea has been silenced since the Ryder Cup in October after he fell under scrutiny over his handling of unruly American fan behavior that crossed the line with Rory McIlroy and other European Ryder Cuppers. Only several days later did he apologize and walk back some of his comments.
The PGA Tour confirmed that Rea, who was elected the 44th President of the PGA in 2024, is no longer a member of either the PGA Tour Inc. or PGA Tour Enterprises board as of November 2025. As first reported by The Quadrilateral’s Geoff Shackelford, Rea has been replaced in that role, which traditionally has gone to the president, by the association’s vice president, Nathan Charnes, who is general manager and director of golf at WingHaven Country Club in O’Fallon, Missouri. It is believed to be an unprecedented move for a sitting president to step down from that role while still in office.
At least one member of the PGA has held a board seat on the Tour’s board since the touring pros split from the club pros in 1968. Shackelford pointed out in his newsletter that Rea’s name and picture have been replaced on the PGA Tour’s website, which depicts the members of the two boards for the for-profit and non-profit entities.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: PGA President Don Rea Jr. reassigned to member-first priorities
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