Exactly four months out from the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, the championship’s director is leaving the PGA of America.
Ryan Ogle announced his decision on Friday via a LinkedIn post, departing the PGA and the nomadic lifestyle of a championship director for another opportunity that will allow he and his family to settle into a permanent home.
“Change is rarely comfortable, and timing is seldom perfect,” Ogle wrote.
Ogle, who first interned for the PGA for the 2012 Ryder Cup, has served as a championship director for the organization since 2015, including for two other PGA Championships, the 2021 PGA at Kiawah and 2024 PGA at Valhalla. He was named the 2026 PGA Championship director in September 2024, a position that requires a move to the host city, in this case, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia. It was, Ogle noted, his eighth move in 13 years with the PGA.
“My life has been defined by the road since I joined as an intern…,” Ogle continued. “Each move was a new adventure, and each role, especially becoming a championship director in 2015, was a dream come true. However, as my family grew, the ‘why’ behind my career shifted. I’ve reached a point where planting roots has become more important than planning the next move. I’ve decided to accept a new opportunity that allows me to finally settle my family in a permanent home while taking a significant step forward in my career.”
The PGA Championship is set to be played May 14-17.
The PGA shared a statement with the Philadelphia Business Journal: “Championship planning remains fully on track, supported by an experienced leadership team and we’ll share more about next steps at the appropriate time.”
Ogle’s departure comes just weeks after PGA CEO Derek Sprague left his position to help care for his mother and mother-in-law. The PGA said it planned to name a replacement for Sprague “in the coming weeks.”