For the second time since August, Jim Gray has found himself in the center of controversy involving professional golf.

In August of 2010, he got into a heated exchange with last year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team captain Corey Pavin, calling him a lair after he insisted that Pavin had told him Tiger Woods would be a shoe-in to make the team. Pavin refuted Gray’s report and the two exchanged words, at which point Gray shouted, “You’re going down!”

His most recent incident came at this weekend’s Northern Trust Open. Golfer Dustin Johnson was assessed a two-stroke penalty but avoided disqualification after he was late for his tee time on Thursday morning. Johnson’s caddy, Bobby Brown, took responsibility for the mistake and then became enraged when Gray decided to question Johnson during live action. After the round was complete, Brown and Gray reportedly got into a heated, profanity-laced argument.

Now, some will say that Gray was just doing his job but he could have waited to question Johnson until after the round was over. The penalty had been assessed and the round had already started, so most journalists would have probably waited before questioning the golfer about what happened.

Not wanting him or the situation to become a further distraction, the Golf Channel removed Gray from this weekend’s coverage. It was a smart move considering that Gray has taken it upon himself (whether purposely or not) to become the story. When you’re getting into multiple incidents with the people you’re supposed to be covering, that’s a problem.

Gray has been around long enough to know that he shouldn’t be a nuisance and yet that’s what he’s become.

After Corey Pavin said that Jim Gray misquoted his comments about Tiger Woods having a guaranteed spot on this year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team, the two went at it at this week’s PGA Championship.

From ESPN.com:

“There’s nobody that’s promised any picks right now,” said Pavin, who later got into a heated exchange with Golf Channel contributor Jim Gray. Gray had first reported that Pavin, while in the Whistling Straits clubhouse Tuesday, said he had assured Woods a spot. “It would be disrespectful to everybody that’s trying to make the team. I’ve got quite a few people I’m looking at.

“I would not disrespect any of the players that are potential players on the team, and obviously there was misinterpretation of what I said.”

Pavin described Wednesday’s incident with Gray in detail. Gray approached Pavin after a news conference Wednesday, and they stood no more than a foot apart, facing off. Pavin’s wife, Lisa, pulled out her mobile phone and recorded the conversation.

“He went nuts when he came in here,” Pavin told reporters. “He said, ‘You’re going down,’ then he turned around and walked away and I’m like, ‘Down for what? You making stuff up?'”

Gray is turd, so it’s hard to take his side in this argument, but obviously he went with the Tiger story because Pavin either said or insinuated that Woods was guaranteed to make the team.

That said, why attack Pavin in a media room at the last PGA Major of the year? How about handling the situation with a little class and talking to Pavin on the side? ESPN reported this morning that Gray also included Pavin’s wife in the argument and if that’s true, that was highly unnecessary and uncalled for.

Had Gray just stuck by the story, he would have been better off. But instead he comes off looking like a slime ball – a role he’s played many times before in his career. (See “The Decision” interview with LeBron James as just one of many examples.)