January 11, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
It’s a wrap. Apparently, pressure from petitions, emails, and phone calls that flooded the PGA of America officials’ inboxes and social media accounts have resulted in the world’s largest sports organization withdrawing from The Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., as host of the 2022 PGA Championship. The announcement was made by the PGA of America on Sunday night.
The decision comes only days after President Donald Trump’s followers stormed the Capitol in Washington while the U.S. Congress was in the process of counting and certifying Electoral College votes that would name Joe Biden as the next president. Five people, including one Capitol Police Officer, died during the incident.
“It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand,” Jim Richerson, PGA of America President said in a video on the association’s website. “The PGA of America Board of Directors voted tonight to exercise the right to terminate the agreement to play the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster.”
As of yet, the PGA of America has not announced a replacement venue for the event, which was to be played on May 19-22, 2022 at the course. In 2014 the venue was orginally booked by the PGA for the championship. Major corporate sponsors for the PGA include powerful, large companies such as Coca-Cola, FedEx and Charles Schwab; these also were sponsors for the championship in 2020.
Seth Waugh, CEO of the PGA of America told the AP through “We find ourselves in a political situation not of our making,” Seth Waugh, the CEO of the PGA of America, told the AP in a telephone interview. “We’re fiduciaries for our members, for the game, for our mission and for our brand. And how do we best protect that? Our feeling was given the tragic events of Wednesday that we could no longer hold it at Bedminster. The damage could have been irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave.”
“There is a modicum of satisfaction and vindication I take from the PGA Of America’s decision to move the 2022 PGA championship from Trump-Bedminster,” said Cedrick Smith, MD, of Golfers Opposing Bigotry. “I will never forget the boycotts and public opposition we (Jeff Sammons Ph.D., Calvin Sinnette, MD, and myself) spearheaded in 2015.”
RELATED: Early adopters and Black voices are often overlooked and erased if they don’t “win” per se. And, although we did not achieve our ultimate goal then, I do find some comfort in knowing we were and remained on the right side of history in calling out a racist, xenophobe (Trump) who was never deserving of these prestigious golfing events. We lost cultivated relationships with these golfing institutions, but we took a principled stance that we were compelled to take because of our love for this game of golf,” stated the 1991 USGA Howard Creel Fellow.
“Sometimes, the right thing to do is the right thing to do’, I commend the action of the PGA of America. It strengthens their message as they work to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. A big first step!” said Craig Kirby, founder, My Future. My Game.
“By finally taking action the PGA has put itself in line with the right side of history. We can’t ignore that this should have happened years ago, when there isn’t diversity these spots are missed. The next step is to make every group that was disrespected by Trump feel welcome to play golf, immigrants, whether legal or illegal, Mexicans, Muslims…I can go on forever but it’s their game too,” said Kelly Pierre, Certified Coach with U.S. Kids Golf, founder/CEO of All Access Golf and Director of Circulation and Consumer Engagement at African American Golfer’s Digest.
“I believe they made the right decision,” commented Michael Cooper, Ph.D., Chairman, WE ARE GOLF Diversity Taskforce.
“Thanks to the PGA for standing up for America. I look forward to the announcement that the ties with Trump properties have been severed permanently,” said LaJean Gould, founder, Women In Golf Foundation.
“This decision was about protecting and preserving the integrity of the PGA and I support the decision Seth and the Board made,” said Andy Walker, Director of the United Golfers Association (UGA) Developmental Academy
The Trump Organization said in a statement it has “a beautiful partnership with the PGA of America and are incredibly disappointed with their decision.”
“This is a breach of a binding contract and they have no right to terminate the agreement,” the statement said. “As an organization we have invested many, many millions of dollars in the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster. We will continue to promote the game of golf on every level and remain focused on operating the finest golf courses anywhere in the world.”
The withdrawal from a Trump property has happened before in PGA history when, in 2015, the PGA Grand Slam of Golf was canceled after remarks Trump made while on the campaign trail. In 2016, the PGA Tour, also canceled plans for a World Golf Championship event at Trump National Doral resort in Miami, Fla.
Although the 2021 PGA Championship for May 17-23 at Kiawah Island, S.C., is going as planned, there are only a mere 15 months to go before the 2022 event. With the clock counting down, organizers of the 2022 Championship are confident they can find a replacement sire for Bedminster. “We’ve had a number of places reach out already,” Waugh said. “We think we’ll have a bunch of options.”
The Trump organization owns 17 golf courses across the world, including 12 in the USA, and, Trump himself is an avid golfer. In the past, his courses have successfully hosted events for both the PGA and LPGA tours.
The day following the Capitol riot, Trump awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Hall of Fame golfers Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player in the East Room of the White House. On social media platforms worldwide, critics staunchly condemned Player and Sorenstam for accepting the honor from Trump. Golfing great Babe Didrikson Zaharias was also posthumously awarded the medal at the ceremony. In 2029, Player was paired in a round with Trump against Sorenstam and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Trump and Player lost.
