A PGA spokeswoman said it was disappointed in Dick's decision and had reached out to the people affected. "We are extremely disappointed by the news, as any time even one PGA member loses a job, we are extremely sensitive to such matters," PGA spokeswoman Jamie Carbone said in an email on Wednesday. Dick's sought to differentiate itself from competitors by hiring PGA professionals to offer in-store expertise, but lately the company's profits have been undercut by declining sales in its golf business. Speaking to analysts in May, Dick's CEO Ed Stack said the golf business fell below the company's first-quarter sales expectations by $34 million, adding that "we don't feel we've found that bottom yet in the golf sales number." The company reduced its expected year-end profit as a 10.4 percent drop in sales at 79 Golf Galaxy stores muted gains in apparel, team sports and footwear.