Derek Sprague, of Malone, New York, was elected the 39th President of the PGA of America on November 22 at the Association’s 98th Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Sprague, age 47, replaces Ted Bishop, who was fired after making “inappropriate” remarks on Twitter, calling British golfer Ian Poulter a “lil girl” on Twitter and on a Facebook posting, prompting the PGA of America board of directors to remove Bishop, who later apologized for his comments. It was a gloomy day for the PGA of America, as this is the first time in the organization’s 98-year history that such a removal like this had been done.
Sprague began service on the Northeastern New York PGA Board of Directors in 1998, and served as section president from 2003-2004. He also was a member of the section’s employment committee from 1995-2001. He turned professional in 1989. He began his career at Malone Golf Club and was elected to PGA membership in 1993.
Sprague was named the 2005 and 2008 Northeastern New York PGA Golf Professional of the Year. And he is also a four-time (2000-03) Section Bill Strausbaugh Award recipient; a two-time Section Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities (1998-99); and winner of the 2006 Section President’s Plaque for outstanding contributions to player development.
Sprague is a 1988 graduate of James Madison University, where he competed on the golf team and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing. He and his wife, Jennifer, live in Malone, and are parents of a daughter, Alexandra; and a son, Davis.
His tenure as PGA president will coincide with the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2016, the re-introduction of golf to the Olympics in 2016, and the 2016 Ryder Cup, which will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
