Tour can't duck The Donald at Doral
Trump puts circuit in tight fix; stop's future in question
Donald Trump had a Super Tuesday.
For the PGA Tour and one of its most respected and recognizable courses, it might not be a very super Sunday.
Fresh off his primary victories Tuesday that drew him closer to being the Republican nominee for president, Trump is expected to make an appearance, probably Sunday, at the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
He owns the place, purchasing in 2012 the Doral property that is the longest-running tour host in Florida, staging events since 1962.
When Trump's helicopter floats down near the course long dubbed “The Blue Monster,” tour officials will swallow hard and grudgingly smile, knowing full well that he has given them a tough stance on a downhill lie, the next play fraught with hazards.
Trump's comments about immigrants in recent months have made the tour — and all of golf — take a hard look at ties to such a controversial figure when the game, in an Olympic year no less, is expanding globally.
When Trump made inflammatory comments about Mexicans in the summer, the PGA of America was quick to pull its Grand Slam event from Trump National in Los Angeles.
In December, after Trump called for a “complete shutdown” of Muslims entering the U.S, the billionaire's business partners in his Dubai development of a course designed by Tiger Woods had to fend off calls for a boycott.
Of course, the backlash in golf came when Trump was thought to be an extreme long shot in his candidacy for president. Now that he's the GOP front-runner, will the tour feel the same urgency to separate itself, given the abundant history at Doral?
The tour is not yet showing its hand. It said in a statement, “Immediately after the completion of the 2016 tournament, we will explore all options regarding the event's future.”
The tour also said Trump's previous comments about Mexicans and Muslims “are inconsistent with our strong commitment to an inclusive and welcoming environment in the game of golf.”
Cadillac's six-year sponsorship of the World Golf Championships event is coming to an end and a new sponsor needs to be found. Who that sponsor is and how comfortable it is being associated with a Trump property might be a key piece of the tournament leaving Doral or staying.
In a news conference Wednesday, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy playfully tried to deflect questions about Trump with, ‘I'm not an American.”
Pressed, McIlroy said, “He is not going to be the leader of my country. It doesn't bother me too much.
“Look, I've been following it and ... I really thought I knew what politics were until I started to watch some of these presidential debates. I mean, not saying that the political system in Northern Ireland is too strong at the moment either. It's shocking.
“I can't vote, and if I were to vote, I'm not sure I would want to vote for any of the candidates.”
Schooled by his agent to “deflect hard” questions about Trump, Bubba Watson joked Tuesday about the candidate taking heat off him.
“It's great if there's a big ruckus when he shows up,” Watson said, “because the media gets away from me and you don't hear bad comments I say or twist them.”
With a limited field of 66 this week, Doral has the privilege of hosting the first major-like showdown of the season, with McIlroy, Watson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott all competing.
As the top three players in the world, Spieth, Day and McIlroy will be grouped together for the first two rounds. It will be only the second time the three have played together in competition.
“I felt like over the past few weeks my right hand was becoming a little bit too dominant,” McIlroy said. “Practiced over the weekend ... and it felt really, really good. I'm going to give it a try this week and see where we go with it.”
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