Former United States President Donald Trump mentioned on Thursday that the PGA Tour “blew a great opportunity” by not making a take care of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
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Trump is internet hosting LIV’s season-ending staff championship at his Trump National course close to Miami, beginning on Friday, and praised the breakaway circuit and their Saudi backers.
“I think the Tour really blew a great opportunity and now they are in a much more difficult position,” Trump informed reporters after taking part in 18 holes within the Pro Am competitors.
“It’s big time, it’s big time money, unlimited money, they love golf, they actually love golf and the Saudis have done a fantastic job,” Trump mentioned.
“The enthusiasm, you hear the music, you hear a lot of things, it’s different and so we are having a good time,” he mentioned.
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Asked whether or not he thought LIV represented the way forward for golf although Trump was extra cautious however positioned the blame for the split firmly on the established PGA Tour’s management.
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“I don’t know, I think that ultimately maybe something gets worked out but the Tour mishandled it so badly, the people at the top, something should happen with them, they mishandled it so badly,” he mentioned.
“They had, not only an advantage, they are dealing with very good people with unlimited money, they are good people with unlimited money. Something could have been worked out very easily and the Tour decided to go, as Richard Nixon said, to stonewall it, that didn’t work out too well for them,” he added.
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LIV, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s $620 billion public funding fund, has invested unprecedented thousands and thousands within the sport with this week’s occasion at Doral boasting a file purse of $50 million.
Critics of LIV Golf say the enterprise is an instance of “sportswashing”, designed to deflect consideration away from Saudi Arabia’s human rights file.
There at the moment are a variety of authorized battles underway with no signal of a compromise between the 2 organisations. World primary Rory McIlroy mentioned this week that he feared the split might grow to be “irreparable”.
Donald Trump mentioned he anticipated extra stars to comply with the instance of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Dustin Johnson and depart the PGA Tour for LIV.
“A lot of other people are coming over, you know that, big names, they are coming over,” he mentioned.
“The star system is always very important in sport, in sport or anything else, if you don’t have the star system you are not going to be successful,” he added.
Trump additionally mentioned the organisers of the British Open need to return the competitors to Turnberry in Scotland, one of many programs he owns.
“They want to come back…I think this will all have to get sorted out first (though),” he mentioned.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
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