Ted Bishop removed from office for calling Ian Poulter a lil girl

PGA President.

Link to story       http://sports.yahoo.com/news/pga-president-refers-poulter-lil-235644299--golf.html

PGA President Ted Bishop was with Faldo on Thursday at The Greenbrier for the ''Faldo Series'' junior program when he tweeted to Poulter, ''Faldo's record stands by itself. Six majors and all-time RC points. Yours vs. His? Lil Girl.''

In a separate posting on his Facebook page, Bishop lamented that athletes who had ''lesser records or accomplishments in a sport never criticized the icons.'' He mentioned Watson's eight majors and 10-3-1 record in the Ryder Cup, and Faldo's six majors and record with most Ryder Cup points in history getting ''bashed'' by Poulter.

''Really? Sounds like a little school girl squealing during recess. C'MON MAN!''

The PGA of America said Bishop ''realized that his post was inappropriate and promptly removed it.''

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Bishop is the guy who selected Watson to captain on a whim ... 'nuff said about his judgment.

You can say a lot about Poults, but Bishop did not choose his words wisely, and so he comes off badly instead of Poults'  book.

"Is being called a "lil girl" meant to be derogatory or a put down?" Poulter told Golf Channel. "That's pretty shocking and disappointing, especially coming from the leader of the PGA of America. No further comment."

http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/pga-prez-calls-out-lil-girl-poulter-twitter/

I couldn't imagine Peter Dawson getting himself into a social media squabble (probably doesn't know what Twitter is anyway) but Bishop is supposed to hold a high office and really shouldn't be getting involved. What was he thinking?. The only thing he'll achieve (as I'm sure Poulter's publisher is relishing it) is cheapening his own office. There'll only be one winner if he sucks the PGA into a social media slanging match with Poulter's PR people. Bishop has achieved something quite remarkable here and hithertoo unheard of, he's made Poulter look dignified. That really takes some doing!

It all stems from a late chapter inclusion in Poulters 'latest' book, where he's critical of Faldo's comments about Sergio, and goes onto suggest that Nick was an unsuccessful captain who should perhaps look at himself rather than Garcia.

Bishop for his part clearly hasn't learnt a thing from the last few years of Ryder Cup. One player you don't wind up is Ian Poulter. He's got that rare gift to play above himself when riled and provoked. Ignore him? yes! - feed him, No.

Bishop tweeted

"Faldo's record stands by itself. Six majors and all-time RC points. Yours vs. His? Lil Girl.''

Well in the first case Poulter's win percentage is better than Faldo's if he wants to talk RC records. Faldo is top points scorer by virtue of the number of games he played. In much the same way that America's three most losing players are Furyk, Mickelson and Woods (all now part of Bishop's task force). As regards the comparative record in Majors, it just seemingly goes to show that Bishop still hasn't learnt a thing from the last few weeks. Let's just say Poulter's record is inferior to Faldo's, as is Paul McGinley's to Tom Watson's. Bishop it seems still doesn't seem to be able to divorce himself from this idea that only a top player can manage a team

I've noted before that America are themselves the principal source of motivating European teams. Just chalk this up as another example of it, and you might also have noted Lee Westwood (not normally one given to shooting his mouth off) thanking America for continuing to provide the coal for the European engine

I should also note that Poulter had secured himself a double page spread in Wednesday's Telegraph promoting his book. Naturally the jounro interviewing him for the support piece focused in on Ryder Cup and asked him about what America needed to do. Poulter half went to answer the question, and then withdrew saying "Let them figure it out" concious that he didn't want to surrender any insights. It's not like he was taunting or even trespassing, and let's not forget that the comment that provoked Bishop was actually directed at the European team. Westwood has probably been more guilty of inappropriate comment

Bishop may have just sealed his fate and cost himself his job as PGA President.  Comments like that don't end well for guys in power these days.

Golf has to be sensitive to gender equality issues like or not, and two thirds of all new players to the game are women. When the head honcho of the PGA uses gender as a term for abuse and belittlement he'd better hope he's not run into a 'slow news day'. Poulter (surprisingly) seems to have spotted the warning sign and after making the entirely fair comment that anyone should be able to air their view regardless of the number tournaments they've won, "I guess we can only have opinions if you win a major or 6," has then opted for more dignified "Is being called a 'lil girl' meant to be derogatory or a put down? That's pretty shocking and disappointing, especially coming from the leader of the PGA of America. No further comment.'' Light the blue touch paper and retreat!

Poulter should be happy. It's just more publicity for his new book. I for one, did not know he had a book out til this flap took place. I'll will now look for it and most likely purchase it. .

If it's not interpreted as a slight on women, it will be picked up by the LGBT community as a slight on them and then Bishop will really be in trouble.

Poulter put Bishop into checkmate with the comment in bold.  Bishop has no other move to make other than apologize, hide under his desk until this blows over and hope it doesn't cost him his job.

I read articles like this and have to read them again just to see if it's actually grown up people that are quoted.

Heard this on morning drive, and I'm more upset at Bishop for dignifying Poulter's existence with any kind of comment.

My expectations of grown ups gets lowered every time I go on social media.

Poulter played this one smart .... what happened?

He found someone that runs his mouth off more than himself...

But his tartans are cool... on sale.

Both parties should take the comments outside........

Got to suspect that Bishop's been at some hospitality event, got back to his hotel room, opened his Twitter account and decided to fire off at Poulter. About half an hour later journo's seize on it and start contacting the USPGA's press office who are desperately scrambling about to try and discover what their President has done before remving the tweet. I've wondered a few times whether social media should come with a brethalyzer attached to the keyboard before it allows you to post!

I think it's mildly amusing at one level. The idea that Ian Poulter, of all people, could bring down the President of the PGA

We had a similar situation about 2 months ago when the head of the English Football Association (Richard Scudamore) got in hot water for the sexist contents of leaked emails. He survived, (just) but had to issue some very unconvincing and grovelling apologies, and I doubt he could survive just the hint of another indiscretion in this area. Quite apart from the cultural difference between the two countries, I suspect what's going to go against Bishop is that he's put this in the public domain, whereas Scudamore managed to hang on because he created just enough victim status for having his private emails leaked from within the organisation

Poults would not bring Bishop down ... Bishop brought Bishop down. Do not give Poulter credit for Bishop's words.

I agree, Bishop made these comments on his own.  Either he was drunk or the pressure of being PGA President and GM at Legends Golf Course is too much for him.  I don't know how Legends is doing financially these days but it's only 4 years since it filed Chapter 11 and golf hasn't grown in popularity since.

Poulter could have helped him out here and tried to make light of it, but he clearly hasn't done. By reminding people of the position he holds, feigning indignation at the inappropriateness of using gender to insult someone, and attaching the word "America" to the PGA, he's appealing to a wider constituency. Golf has an image problem in this area as it is, and you might argue that if Poulter was being compliant he'd have toned it down? You might equally argue of course that Poulter is being 21st century and challenging the attitudes of a different generation?.

I'm trying to think whether Peter Dawson would survive if he'd have suggested that Phil Mickelson was a "choking excuse maker who's own career wasn't as good as Tom Watson's and perhaps this is repsonsible for him behaving like a silly jealous girl". Tricky one. He might get away with it, provided he apologised, purely because he'd been instrumental in the recent vote to admit women into the R&A.; If he hadn't been, and it got caught on a 'no news day' I suspect he'd be made to resign within 3-4 days

Hmmm....when you are implying that your significantly more successful countryman is, himself, "useless," there's a fair chance his six majors versus his critic's zero majors might start to spring to the forefront of people's minds.

Faldo belongs to a certain type of English sportsman - not especially well liked by his peers and contemporaries, it seems - and opinionated. I've always thought of Nick Faldo as being to golf as Geoff Boycott was to cricket; but then both men were the English superstars of their day, highly successful, know their sport inside out, and post-playing careers have insightful comments to make.

I quite like watching Ian Poulter play golf, but encouraging his ghost-writer to go after Faldo in the closing pages of his autobiography was fatuous. And the resultant twitter-wars are buffoonish and silly.