LIV Golf: Trump Welcomes His Saudi Masters to New Jersey

While Joe Biden was criticized for his recent fist bump with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Donald Trump has given a big, wet, sloppy kiss to the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Tour “sportswashing” campaign. The third tournament of the new pro golf league‘s tour is being held at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Mr. Trump may have embraced the insurgent tour because he’s peeved at the U.S.-based PGA for pulling its 2022 championship tourney from Bedminster, but he has backed upstart sports leagues before, and this is not the first time Donald Trump has taken Saudi money. Far from it. Saudi cash saved Trump from bankrupcy, and, despite anti-Saudi rhetoric during his 2016 campaign, he and son-in-law Jared Kushner have kept their shoddy businesses afloat on an Arabian Gulf of Saudi money.

There have been strong objections to Trump’s embrace of Saudi golf money by the PGA, of course, but also by survivors of the victims of 9/11, and National Press Club members who remember the “grisly-bonesaw” murder of their collegue Jamal Khashoggi.

More:

“Trump Seeks Money and Revenge in Hosting the New Saudi Golf League,” John Cassidy, The New Yorker

“Hosting Saudi Golf Tourney, Trump Has Forgotten He Used to Blame Kingdom for 9/11,” Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone

Updates:

“9/11 families rip Saudi-financed golf tour ahead of finale at Trump resort,” Olafimihan Oshin, The Hill

“Trump: LIV Golf tournament a ‘great thing’ for Saudi Arabia,” Jared Gans, The Hill

“LIV Golf’s latest stop brings together Trump, Saudi Arabia and plenty of criticism,” Bryan Armen Graham, The Guardian

“The marriage of LIV Golf and Donald Trump is the stuff schemes are made of,” Eamon Lynch, Golfweek

“Bill Maher mocks Trump over golf course comments, suggests US trade him for Griner’s release,” Chloe Folmar, The Hill

“LIV Golf Tournament at Trump Club Sees Thin Crowds, $1 Tickets: Reports,” Jason Lemon, Newsweek

“LIV Golf spectator yells, ‘Do it for the Saudi royal family’ at Phil Mickelson,” Riley Hamel, Golfweek

“Golf takes back seat at Saudi-backed, Trump-hosted event,” Bryan Armen Graham, USA Today

Updated Updates:

“LIV Golf sellouts bailed on the PGA Tour. Now they want back in?” Sally Jenkins, Wasghington Post

“Judge rules LIV golfers can’t play in PGA Tour postseason,” TuAnh Dam, Axios

Related:

“Donald Trump’s Sketchy Playbook for Blowing Up a Pro Sports League,” Ian Ward, Politico

“Remembering The Tour De Trump, Donald Trump’s Failed Bike Race,” Patrick Redford, Deadspin

“Does Saudi Arabia Own Donald Trump?” NotionsCapital

“Tiger Woods turned down offer in ‘neighborhood’ of $700M to $800M to play in Saudi-backed tournament, Greg Norman says,” Sarakshi Rai, The Hill

“Ivana Trump was buried near the first hole of Trump National Golf Club. Her gravesite could offer tax breaks for the business.” Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert and Isabella Zavarise, Business Insider

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Image (“Trump Welcomes His Saudi Masters to New Jersey”) by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

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Golf Loser: PGA Scratches Trump Course for 2022 Championship

The PGA announced Sunday that it would not hold its 2022 Championship at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, in New Jersey. The move will certainly be seen as politically motivated by some, but it’s simple economics: it’s about sponsorship. What corporation would want its name and reputation linked with Trump after a violent mob acting in his name attacked the U.S. Capitol and killed a police officer?

The famously litigious Trump will no doubt sue, but the PGA’s lawyers are certainly more capable than, say, Trump golf buddy and attorney Rudy Giuliani.

This hits notorious golf cheat Trump where he lives. Golf is a central part of his self-identity, not just his portfolio. To make matters worse, Trump got shafted by a Florida neighbor. PGA HQ is in Palm Beach Gardens, a 17-mile drive from Mar-a-Lago.

In other sports news, the UK’s Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) said on Monday that it will not hold the British Open or any other major tournaments at Trump Turnberry in Scotland as long as that orange-faced American owns the property.

More:

“PGA Championship leaving Trump National in ’22 tournament,” Doug Ferguson, Associated Press

“PGA of America votes to move 2022 PGA Championship from Trump Bedminster golf club,” Kyle Porter, CBS Sports

“R&A has no plans for British Open at Trump Turnberry in Scotland,” Jason Lusk, Golfweek

“PGA strips Trump-owned golf course of 2022 championship,” Rebecca Falconer, Axios

“The Trump Reckoning Spreads to the Golf World,” Matt Stieb, New York Magazine

“Trump is reportedly more upset about his club not hosting a golf tournament than he is about likely being impeached for a 2nd time,” Oma Seddiq, Business Insider

“An Urgent Reckoning for the Trump Brand After US Capitol Attack,” Eric Lipton, Ben Protess and Steve Eder, New York Times

Related:

“Trump kicks his golf ball back on the course so much that caddies have nicknamed him ‘Pelé,'” Jeva Lange, The Week

“The Serial Golf Cheat in the White House,” John Cassidy, The New Yorker

“Business grows skittish about Trump and GOP after riots,” Josh Boak, Brian Slodysko, and Tom Krisher, Associated Press

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Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Comments are welcome if they are on-topic, substantive, concise, and not boring or obscene. Comments may be edited for clarity and length.