"It is a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf" is the way Donald Trump started his statement in response to the news that the PGA Tour has decided to move a long-standing golf tournament from Donald Trump's golf course in Miami, Florida.
The PGA Tour announced Wednesday that the event formerly known as the WGC-Cadillac Championship that was held at Trump National Doral will now be called the WGC-Mexico Championship, and will be held at a venue in Mexico City starting in 2017.
Trump Doral had been the site of a PGA Tour event since 1962 according to ESPN, and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem insists that it is not a political decision.
"Some of the reaction revolves around the feeling that this is a political exercise, and it is not that in any way, shape, or form. The decision here was based on the reality that we were not able to secure sponsorship for next year's WGC at Doral or for years out for that matter. At the same time, we had an opportunity to build what we think is going to be a spectacular event in an area that is strategically important to the growth of the sport and the activity of the PGA Tour that has been focused in South America and Central America for the last good number of years" Finchem said.
Cadillac did not renew its sponsorship after the 2016 tournament, and even though in 2013 the PGA Tour announced a 10-year contract extension with Trump National Doral through 2023, the deal was contingent upon title sponsorship. A sponsorship requires around $10 million for one event according to ESPN.
Although the move from the Tour's perspective was business related, Finchem hinted that the tournament's inability to find a sponsor may have been related to Trump's politics: "I know everybody's talking about politics, but it's actually not that, in my view. I think it's more Donald Trump is a brand, a big brand, and when you're asking a company to invest millions of dollars in branding a tournament and they're going to share that brand with the host, it's a difficult conversation."
The irony wasn't lost on the world's former number one ranked golfer Rory McIlroy, who said "It's quite ironic that we're going to Mexico after being at Doral. We just jump over the wall."
As for Trump, he had his usual headline grabbing comments on the matter as well.
"I just heard that the PGA Tour is taking their tournament out of Miami and moving it to Mexico. It's at Doral, they use one of my places - They're moving it to Mexico City which by the way, I hope they have kidnapping insurance."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pv_JnWuXidI
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The truth is probably somewhere in the middle on what happened to the tournament, but one thing is for sure, there is rarely a dull moment when it comes to The Donald.
Full Trump Statement
"It is a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf, to have the PGA Tour consider moving the World Golf Championships, which has been hosted in Miami for the last 55 years, to Mexico. No different than Nabisco, Carrier and so many other American companies, the PGA Tour has put profit ahead of thousands of American jobs, millions of dollars in revenue for local communities and charities and the enjoyment of hundreds of thousands of fans who make the tournament an annual tradition. This decision only further embodies the very reason I am running for President of the United States."