PGA of America have revealed their Board of Directors have voted to remove Ted Bishop, the 38th PGA President, from office for insensitive gender-based statements. 

The comments were directed towards golfer Ian Poulter attacking the Ryder Cup golfer for his criticisms of former Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo, calling Poulter a ‘lil girl.’

Bishop later expanded his thoughts on Facebook, defending Tom Watson and Nick Faldo while equating Poulter’s comments to a “little school girl squealing during recess.”

The PGA of America Board of Directors said in its release the remarks were “inconsistent with the policies of the PGA.”

“The PGA of America understands the enormous responsibility it has to lead this great game and to enrich lives in our society through golf,” said PGA Chief Executive Officer Pete Bevacqua. “We must demand of ourselves that we make golf both welcoming and inclusive to all who want to experience it, and everyone at the PGA of America must lead by example.”

Under the Bylaws of the PGA Constitution, Vice President Derek Sprague has been appointed the Association’s Interim President until Nov. 22, when the election of new national officers takes place at the 98th PGA Annual Meeting. PGA Secretary Paul Levy will assume the dual responsibilities of Vice President and Secretary until the election.

“The Members and Apprentices of the PGA of America must uphold the highest standards and values of the profession, as well as the manner in which we conduct ourselves at all times,” said Sprague, the PGA General Manager and Director of Golf at Malone (New York) Golf Club. “We apologize to any individual or group that felt diminished, in any way, by this unacceptable incident.”

Bishop was apologetic in his statement: “I want to apologize to Ian Poulter and anyone else that I might have offended with my remarks on social media that appeared on October 23, 2014. Particularly, I have great remorse that my comments contained the words “little girl” because I have always been a great advocate for girls and women in golf.”

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, added: “We understand and respect the PGA of America’s decision regarding Ted Bishop. During Ted’s presidency, he accomplished many positive things and the PGA of America and the PGA TOUR have worked in a much more collaborative and positive way as a result of his leadership.

“While his remarks on social media were unfortunate and inappropriate, Ted’s apology was heartfelt and sincere. We will always appreciate Ted’s commitment to the game of golf.”

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Sponsorship agency Generate have appointed David Stubley, adiposity the former Senior Executive of WPP, medicine Fast Track & Channel Four as their new Chairman.

Stubley joins with immediate effect in a newly created role of Chairman to assist the board in the expansion of the business. He will be focused on growing the existing sponsorship, PR and events offering, evolving the IP and digital business plans, as well as the provision of strategic advice to existing clients.

Founded in March 2003 by Rupert Pratt and Andy Muggleton, Generate has a global presence with the head office in the UK, London Bridge. The agency specialises in Sponsorship, PR & Digital & Events & IP across sport and entertainment.

The client portfolio includes eBay, QBE Insurance, ECB, Ambassador Theatre Group, Save the Children, Merlin Entertainment, Premiership Rugby, Kew the Music and Speedo.    

Rupert Pratt, Co–Founder and Managing Director at Generate, said: “David has an excellent track record in growing agencies and businesses across multiple regions and sectors. He’s aligned with our vision and brings with him over twenty-five years of experience working within television, international media, advertising, sponsorship, digital & sports rights.

“The growth we’ve already achieved over recent years is representative of the great work consistently delivered for our clients. We focus on creating, producing and distributing outstanding sport and entertainment content for our clients with an established team in place that is incredibly passionate about the industry.

He continued: It’s time for us to implement our next ten year business strategy and grow Generate. David is well placed to assist us on this journey”.

A well-respected figure within the industry, Stubley has a successful track record including Founding Chief Executive of WPP owned sport & entertainment consultancy Performance, Board Director at Clipper ventures, Managing Partner at Fast Track, Partner at MEC Interaction and head of Business Development at Channel 4.

Stubley, who sits on a number of Boards across Digital, Tech and Venture Capital Companies, said: “Generate have an impressive service offer, strong work ethic and deliver exceptional work. I am excited by the vision for the development of the business and looking forward to working with Rupert and his team as the agency takes their next steps within the sport and entertainment industry.”

British Swimming will work alongside venue operators GLL and the London Legacy Development Corporation to provide world class diving provision in the capital and build on the popularity of diving from the London Olympics.

National Performance Director Alexei Evangulov said: “We are really pleased to have an HPC at the pool that was used for the Olympic Games and are excited about when the doors open in the spring.

“The London Aquatics Centre is a fantastic facility with world class boards and dry land provision. A facility like this will help shape the next generation of athletes and allow them to see what an elite competition venue is like on a day-to-day basis.

“The pool holds great memories for not only the British public but also our divers and all athletes that use this centre will have a small taste of the Olympics every time they walk through the door.”

GLL Director Peter Bundey admitted this is an important element of the legacy role at the venue.

“The London Aquatics Centre is an iconic facility which will play a major part in bringing international, troche national and local legacy to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, herbal ” said Bundey.

“It is very exciting therefore to work closely with British Swimming to secure a diving programme that will help the country’s best divers prepare for future Olympic Games.

“As a charitable social enterprise, our partnership is also important to help inspire a new generation of young divers, who in turn will strive to be part of this High Performance Programme”.

Dennis Hone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: “It is fantastic news that the Aquatics Centre will become home to British diving. These world-class facilities will be used by some of the country’s top divers when it opens next year.

“The Centre will be a high performance training facility and competition venue as well as open to the public for the same price as the average cost at local pools. These elite sports will sit alongside community sports to provide a lasting legacy for all.”

British Swimming Chief Executive David Sparkes added: “We are delighted to be working with GLL and London Legacy Development Corporation to ensure we build on the Olympics and create a massive diving legacy programme for London.”

By Ismail Uddin

Dom Reilly recently announced partnership with Williams F1 will help with ‘brand awareness’ that is crucial for the start-up company according to Founder and CEO, Dominic Reilly.

Williams revealed a partnership that will see Dom Reilly’s travel accessories being used by the team during the season.

Dominic Reilly believes this partnership is critical for the brand to progress which began its operations only last year.

“As a start up brand, it is imperative that I generate brand awareness. Not Just awareness of the name and the logo but an understanding of what the brand represents,” he told iSportconnect exclusively.

“There are many brands that chose to partner with an F1 team because it is glamourous and has a premium image. However often there isn’t any real legitimacy in the partnership. My brand literally has its origins in Formula One.”

The former Williams head of marketing also suggested it was an obvious choice for his brand to partner with the F1 team.

“The idea came from the years of travel that I undertook on behalf of the Williams F1 team. It was therefore obvious for me to seek a partnership with them. There is no finer proof point for travel accesories that within an F1 team who travel over 70,000 Kms Per annum. There is an authenticity to my story and that of the Dom Reilly brand so I intend to leverage that with a proactive PR campaign,” he added.

Euroleague Basketball have unveiled their new logo for their flagship event, the 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four, to be held from May 10 to 12 at The O2 in London.

The logo has been created by the international award-winning Greek agency Designers United, creators of three previous Final Four logos – for Athens in 2007, Berlin in 2009 and Paris in 2010. The 2013 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four logo is inspired by London’s DNA as a modern and edgy city that conserves a hint of tradition, which is reflected by the juxtaposition of a modern, graffiti-inspired “lion-ball” topped with a classic crown.

The lion is one of the main symbols of London and of the United Kingdom. It stands for bravery, passion, courage, honor, leadership, strength and authority. It has been a common emblem for England throughout history and is featured on the royal coat of arms, creating an association which in branding terms is translated into prestige.

England has a strong link with the image of the crown, an emblem for the strong tradition at the heart of London’s identity. The crown also ties in perfectly with what will happen in London, where the Turkish Airlines Euroleague champions will become the new kings of European basketball on May 12 at The O2.

Red and blue are known worldwide for being national colors of the UK, commonly associated with the country’s flag, the Union Jack. The red line dividing the lion-ball in two symbolizes the River Thames, which also divides the city of London into two parts.