For a second straight year, the LIV Golf league will host its $50 million team championship Oct. 20-22 at Trump National Doral, which is owned by former President Donald Trump, in Miami.
“We’re thrilled to return to the Blue Monster at Doral to celebrate a historic year and crown the 2023 LIV Golf League team champion,” Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and commissioner, said in a statement. “The team concept has come to life this year in exciting new ways as our players and fans embrace the launch of team golf. We’re building up for an action-packed weekend with headline entertainment that will put an exclamation point on another can’t-miss LIV Golf event.”
In January 2021, after the insurrection at the Capitol that Trump incited, the PGA announced that it would no longer host its championship at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey.
“It has become clear that conducting the P.G.A. Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the P.G.A. of America brand, and would put at risk the P.G.A.’s ability to deliver our many programs, and sustain the longevity of our mission,” Jim Richerson, PGA of America president, said in a video statement, according to The New York Times.
It was the second time the PGA withdrew its championship from a Trump course. In 2015, after Trump made racist remarks about Mexican immigrants, the PGA canceled its Grand Slam of Golf after the league decided to no longer host it at the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles.
Since then, Trump has become a supporter of LIV, which is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.
“It’s big time and it’s big-time money,” Trump said in October, according to Golf Channel. “It’s unlimited money. They love golf and the Saudis have done a fantastic job,” Trump said. “It’s different, the enthusiasm.”
In early June, it was announced that the PGA would merge with LIV Golf. But soon the merger, which hasn’t officially happened yet, faced scrutiny. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department was investigating the deal for antitrust concerns.
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