Earlier today, while praising Sir Nick Faldo and his Faldo Series to build the game of golf on the youth level, PGA of America president Ted Bishop called Ian Poulter a "Lil Girl". The tweet at since been deleted, but this is the internet and everything can be saved for prosperity. You can see the tweet here.
It doesn't stop there. In a Facebook post (which has also been deleted) was talking about Poulter's criticism of Faldo and American Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson. Bishop brought up Faldo and Watson's majors and Ryder Cup successes, and said of Poulter's criticism "Really? Sounds like a little school girl squealing during during recess. C'MON MAN!"
Bishop was instantly bashed for his comments, and rightfully so. Not only are these comments sexist, but they come from the head of a governing body in the sport of golf. The PGA of America is not only a rule making board, but they operate the PGA Championship, the final of the four majors. To have the head of a governing body and a major bashing a player for his comments towards another player is a huge conflict of interest. I have made no secret that I admire both Tom Watson and Nick Faldo, and there have been times when Poulter's brash, unapologetic comments rub me the wrong way, but there is no excuse for this.
Do I imagine Bishop's comments or feelings towards Poulter to affect him in any way professionally? Of course not, but it is a terrible look. Not only has the head of the PGA of America made it publicly known that he doesn't like a player that competes in his major championship, but he used the terms "little girl" and "school girl" in a derogatory way the year before they PGA takes over a major on the LPGA Tour.
Ted Bishop is stepping down as the president of the PGA next month, so this story will likely go away as the PGA enters a new era with a new president. The first thing the PGA has to do is separate themselves from Bishop's comments. The news of these comments have already spread through the media, and now "PGA" is being linked with terms like "disrespectful" and "sexist". The incoming leadership can not sit back and hope this story goes away.
Also, can we quit acting like everyone who does something good for the game of golf is above criticism? Let's look at the events that got us to this point. During the Ryder Cup, on national television, Nick Faldo called Ian Poulter's team mate Sergio Garcia "useless" in response to a question about his performance at the 2008 Ryder Cup, in which Faldo was the captain of the European squad and where the Europeans suffered their only less this millennium. In response, Poulter blasted back and said that players no longer respect Faldo like they used to. So now Ted Bishop has to chime in? On a verbal feud that, by all accounts, Faldo started in the first place? Faldo has done a lot to make the game global by encouraging youth all over the world to take up the game. Faldo was a tremendous player that paved the way for European domination of golf in the 80's and 90's. Faldo can also be opinionated and brash, just like Poulter can be, and he said something he probably shouldn't have about a current European player. You can defend the things Faldo has done while also not throwing yourself into the middle of a fight that you were not asked to take part in.
One last thing. I am aware that the use of the term "little girl" and trying to emasculate someone is still considered proper trash talk, and that, by being offended, I'm going to get labeled as a thin-skinned feminist, but honestly, let's just stop with that nonsense. It's 2014, not 1955, and we should be better than to using feminine terms as insults. It makes you look old, out of touch, and quite frankly, it makes you seem unintelligent.
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