PGA of America names Nathan Charnes acting president after Don Rea’s suspension

The PGA of America Board of Directors announced a new acting president on Friday, following the suspension of Don Rea.

Nathan Charnes has been named the acting president after serving as vice president of the PGA since 2024 and will assume the role immediately. Charnes will lead the Officers and Board of Directors for the association.

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Rea was released of his presidential duties, despite having time left on his term until November. The PGA of America said the leadership change was made after “a series of issues over time that, taken together, were determined to be detrimental to the Association.”

PGA president Don Rea removed from PGA Tour board, to focus on ‘member-first priorities’

The PGA confirmed that Rea Jr., whose two-year term as president expires at the end of the year, was removed from the PGA Tour Inc. board last November.

It’s been reported that things have gone downhill with Rea’s presidency since the Ryder Cup last summer, when the U.S. lost to Europe on home soil and he failed to apologize for inappropriate fan behavior at the tournament.

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Rea, whose presidency began in ’24, was also criticized for saying during the trophy presentation that Europe only retained the Ryder Cup (it won outright, 15-13) and for singing karaoke Saturday night of the matches as the U.S. was getting throttled.

Rea was removed from the PGA Tour’s policy board in February and also replaced by Charnes.

The PGA of America noted that the changes within the organization’s structure “are limited to Board leadership and do not affect the Association’s executive leadership or day-to-day operations.”