The Miami Herald spoke with Butch Buchholz, tournament chairman of the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship at Trump National, who said that he thinks the tournament organizers are leaving Trump’s course reluctantly and didn’t “have a choice” in the matter.
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Doral has been the longest-running PGA Tour event in Florida, dating to 1962.
Mr Trump said the PGA had “put profit ahead of thousands of American jobs”.
Speaking to reporters at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, on Wednesday, PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said the move was about sponsorship, not politics.
Trump, the Republican party’s presumptive nominee, has promised to build a wall along the United States’ southern border to keep out Mexicans who want to come to the US illegally.
“As we anticipated, some of the reaction revolves around the feeling that somehow this is a political exercise, and it is not that in any way, shape or form”, Finchem said.
“I mean, I just heard that the PGA Tour is taking their tournament out of Miami and moving it to Mexico as an example”.
The PGA of America canceled its Grand Slam of Golf that was scheduled for Trump’s course in Los Angeles last fall, and golf organizations stood behind a statement that said Trump’s comments were not consistent with golf’s commitment to be diverse and welcoming.
“Immediately after the completion of the 2016 tournament, we will explore all options regarding the event’s future”.
The PGA is still scheduled to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National in New Jersey and the 2017 Senior PGA Championship at Trump National in Virginia.
And to add insult to Trump’s injury, the PGA is taking its business TO MEXICO CITY! They’re moving their tournament. The new sponsor through 2023 is Grupo Salinas, a Mexico City-based retail, television and telecommunications company.
According to GolfChannel.com, in an interview on Fox News on Tuesday, Trump made reference to the PGA Tour’s decision.
The tournament, which is one of four pro World Golf Championships events that has been held since 1999, is also being renamed.
Rory McIlroy agreed. “Well, they’re called the World Golf Championship for a reason”, McIlroy said.
“Not good”, said Trump yesterday, during a campaign rally in Sacramento, California.
Finchem responded: “You know, one of our people told us this morning that we already have kidnapping insurance”.
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Trump has angered many Latinos with his comments, including referring to Latino immigrants as murderers and rapists and suggesting the Mexican government intentionally is sending criminals to the U.S. He even took a swipe at fellow Republican Jeb Bush because of the latter’s Mexican-born wife.
