PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague will step down after just one year in the role, citing family reasons, the association announced last Wednesday.
Sprague, who is based at the PGA’s headquarters in Frisco, Texas, will return to his longtime home of Malone, New York, to support his family as his mother and mother‑in‑law require increased care, according to a PGA news release.
“At my daughter’s wedding last month in upstate New York, it became clear that my family needs me nearby to assist with the care of my mother and mother‑in‑law,” Sprague said in a statement. “Focusing on family has become my priority, and the best decision for me is to step away from my role as CEO and return home to be with them.”
The association hopes to have a successor in place by the start of the PGA Show in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 20, officials told PGA section executive directors in a conference call last Wednesday morning, a call participant told GGP.
Sprague’s brief CEO tenure was marked by his vocal opposition to the USGA and R&A’s plans to roll back golf ball distance and his high-profile apology to Rory McIlroy and his wife, Erica, for the abusive treatment they endured from fans at last September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. READ MORE
Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki, whose 113 worldwide victories are the most of any player from Japan, died Dec. 23 in his home country after a battle with colon cancer, the Japan Golf Tour said. He was 78.
Ozaki was revered in Japan, a big hitter with a sense of style who won 94 times over 29 years on the Japan Golf Tour, the last one coming at the 2002 ANA Open when he was 55. He rose as high as No. 5 twice in the Official World Golf Ranking in 1996-97 at age 49 and 50.
Ozaki competed in 49 majors, his best finish coming in the 1989 U.S. Open at Oak Hill when he finished three shots behind Curtis Strange. He played the Masters for the 19th and final time in 2000 when he was 53 and tied for 28th. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. READ MORE
Tiger Woods, who turned 50 on Dec. 30, will celebrate the milestone with a birthday bash Wednesday at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, that will also serve as a launch party for his TGR Foundation’s 30th anniversary campaign.
The event, which is dubbed “RED: Celebrating Legacy presented by EY US,” will feature 300 invited guests who have been asked to wear “a touch of red” to honor Woods, a Masters Champions Dinner-themed menu and a musical performance by rock legend Jon Bon Jovi, according to multiple reports. READ MORE
Tap-ins
One of the at least 40 deaths in a New Year’s bar fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, was that of a 17-year-old, budding golf talent from Italy. Emanuele Galeppini was announced by the Italian Golf Federation as having died in the blaze, which also injured more than 110 people. READ MORE
After spending more than a decade selling his merchandise and hanging with fans at the Hooters restaurant on Washington Road in Augusta, Georgia, during the Masters, John Daly will relocate to the nearby Top Dawg Tavern following the closure of Hooters due to corporate bankruptcy. READ MORE
The USGA announced the roster for the 2026 U.S. National Junior Team, comprising 12 boys and 12 girls from 10 states. READ MORE
The 2026 Junior Presidents Cup will feature the United States’ Matt Kuchar and Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan as captains of the U.S. and International teams, respectively. The event will be contested on a special routing of the No. 1 and No. 2 courses at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago on Sept. 20-21 The 2026 Presidents Cup will tee off two days later on Medinah’s No. 3 course. READ MORE
The European Golf Association has confirmed the first set of close to 40 exemptions to professional events that will be available across the men’s and women’s competitions in association with the new European Amateur Order of Merit. READ MORE
Rolex has elevated its level of support of the American Junior Golf Association to global sponsor, the association announced. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity