KAPALUA, Hawaii – The American PGA cut ties with President Donald Trump on Sunday when he approved the withdrawal of next year’s PGA Championship from the president’s golf course in New Jersey.
The vote took place four days after the Trump-initiated invasion of the National Capitol, when Congress upheld President elite Joe Biden’s election victory. This is the second time in five years that the American PGA has withdrawn one of its leagues from a Trump field.
PGA President Jim Richerson said the board approved the exercise of its right to “end the deal” with Trump National in Bedminster, New Jersey.
“We are in a political situation for which we are not responsible,” said Seth Waugh, CEO of the US PGA, in a telephone interview.
“We are fiduciaries of our members, of the game, of our mission and our brand. And what’s the best way to protect this? Our sense of the tragic events on Wednesday is that we will no longer be able to hold the game in Bedminster. The damage could have been irreparable. Leaving was the only real course of action ”.
The American PGA, which has about 29,000 professional golfers, most of whom teach the sport, signed the deal with Trump National in 2014.
The organization canceled the 2015 PGA Golf Grand Slam to be held at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles after the mogul’s disparaging comments about Mexican immigrants when he announced he would seek the Republican presidential nomination.
That tournament was finally canceled the following spring.