It’s been another eventful week for golf, and the action has unfortunately again been off the golf course.
Donald Trump, inside of golf, is viewed as a successful golf course developer and owner of premier golf facilities. He also is highly connected to all of golf’s major organizations as a host of events ranging from major championships to PGA Tour events.
Trump is now a candidate for the 2016 Republican nomination for president of the United States. He recently created a storm of controversy and criticism following comments he made a couple of weeks ago regarding illegal immigrants entering the U.S. from Mexico.
“The U.S. has become a dumping ground for everybody else’s problems. When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Trump was referring to illegal immigrants, not Mexican-American citizens who earned their right to live in this country. A few days after the highly controversial remarks, Trump tried to clarify his position.
“I like Mexico. I love the Mexican people. I do business with the Mexican people, but you have people coming through the border that are from all over. And they’re bad. They’re really bad,” he said. “You have people coming in, and I’m not just saying Mexicans. I’m talking about people that are from all over that are killers and rapists, and they’re coming into this country.”
Interestingly, Trump has risen in the polls since speaking out on the immigration problems that face the United States. Currently, he is second in the Republican polls with 12 percent voter approval. He trails Jeb Bush, who has 19 percent.
If Trump fails to get the GOP nomination, there is a good chance that he might run as an independent candidate. He claims to be worth $8.7 billion, which gives him the financial foundation to complete the race.
This week, USA Today explored the Trump political appeal. Several things surfaced: “He says what everyone else thinks but is afraid to say because they want to be politically correct.
For every candidate who is pushed and prodded by political consultants and polls, there is a Trump sound bite. Trump is not in it for the money. He doesn’t have to pander to donors, because he is paying for his campaign himself. He just wants to fix the country.”
But it wasn’t all positive: “Trump will eventually say something destructive to his candidacy. Trump mocks and insults his opponents, from Mitt Romney (who he says is worth less than Trump’s Gucci store) to Rosie O’Donnell, whom Trump called ‘Fat Little Rosie’ during a feud.”
Safe to say, in many ways you never know what you are going to get with Donald Trump.
I was the president of the PGA of America when it entered into a business deal with Trump. That included the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, the 2017 Senior PGA at Trump National GC Washington, D.C., as well as a four-year Trump sponsorship of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf beginning in 2015.
During my PGA presidency I spent time with Trump. I have been in his office at 725 Fifth Ave. in Manhattan. We have discussed renovation plans and looked at blueprints for Turnberry GC in Scotland, which Trump acquired more than a year ago. We played golf together at Trump National in Bedminster, and I had the privilege to be his guest at Trump International in Scotland a year ago this week during the Scottish Open.
I have spoken on the phone with Trump numerous times on a variety of subjects. I feel like I know the man and understand him — as much as anyone can.
I do not believe that Trump is a bigot. I do believe that he shoots from the hip at times, and he is certainly a polarizing individual. He is generous and well-liked by the people who work for him. He flaunts his successes, which turns a lot of people off. Can he be the president of the United States? Voters will make that choice.
This week the PGA of America yanked the upcoming Grand Slam of Golf from Trump Los Angeles. However, it decided to let Trump properties continue to host the remaining three Grand Slams and both majors. That is a curious reaction from the PGA, which has been all about political correctness, diversity and inclusion. It’s surprising that the PGA’s approach to Trump was not “all or nothing at all.”
Trump was fired last week by NBC after his Mexican remarks. No more “The Apprentice” or any of the Trump-owned beauty pageants. In turn, Trump is suing NBC for $500 million, and he has banned network employees from the Doral resort, which he owns.
NBC/Golf Channel has the television rights to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. NBC is also a major media partner with the PGA of America stemming from the Ryder Cup TV rights through 2030. NBC means more to the PGA than does Trump. Stay tuned to see what eventually happens with the last three years of the Trump sponsored PGA Grand Slam of Golf.
Trump has certainly put the PGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America, the LPGA and the R&A in a tough spot. Some are saying that Turnberry may now be dropped from the Open Championship rotation, and that would be a shame. The PGA Tour faces tough decisions with its WGC event at Trump-owned Doral. That event is sponsored by Cadillac, which has factories in Mexico. The USGA is scheduled to play the U.S. Women’s Open at Trump Bedminster in two years.
Can Trump be a presidential candidate and stay active in professional golf? It doesn’t appear that will be the case. But knowing Trump, he has that figured out, too.
