The PGA Tour is moving Donald Trump's tournament to Mexico and he hopes they have 'kidnapping insurance'
The World Golf Championship (WGC) event held at Trump National Doral just outside of Miami, formerly known as the Cadillac Championship, will be moving to Mexico City, outgoing chairman Butch Buchholz told the Miami Herald.
Trump spoke about the move in an interview Tuesday night with Sean Hannity of Fox News. And in typical Trumpian fashion, Trump was not going to take a loss without throwing a few below-the-belt punches of his own (emphasis ours).
"I mean, I just heard that the PGA Tour is taking their tournament out of Miami and moving it to Mexico as an example," Trump said. "They're moving it to Mexico City which, by the way, I hope they have kidnapping insurance. But they're moving it to Mexico City. And I'm saying, you know, what's going on here? It is so sad when you look at what's going on with our country."
Trump signed a 10-year extension in 2013 to host the tournament, but the deal included an out-clause for the PGA Tour if the tournament failed to land a new sponsor after Cadillac chose not to renew their deal. The speculation has been that the event was having trouble landing a new sponsor because few companies can afford to sponsor a WGC event - that includes ponying up the $9.5 million in prize money - and the companies that can afford it don't want to be associated with Trump.
According to the Golf Channel, the tournament will now be held at the exclusive Club de Golf Chapultapec outside Mexico City with the Grupo Salinas conglomerate serving as the main sponsor.
In a statement (via the Golf Channel), Trump called the move "a sad day for Miami," and accused the PGA Tour of putting profit ahead of American jobs.
"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."
Trump and the PGA Tour have had a long and rocky relationship, and it seems like the Tour is ready to cut all ties, even if it means leaving one of its iconic courses, Doral. The PGA of America canceled the Grand Slam of Golf at a Trump course in Los Angeles after he made his infamous comments about Mexican immigrants.
At the time, the PGA Tour and other tours released a joint statement distancing themselves from Trump.
The PGA is still scheduled to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National in New Jersey and the 2017 Senior PGA Championship at Trump National in Virginia.