Donald Trump loses golf tournament to Mexico, hopes PGA has ‘kidnapping insurance’

By Jezebel Admin  |  June 1, 2016 | 9:21pm
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Donald Trump has one more reason to be suspicious of Mexico: The Professional Golfer’s Association (PGA) has decided to move its annual star-studded World Golf Championship from Trump’s Doral resort in Miami to Mexico City.

The PGA announced in a press release Wednesday that the tournament, which has been held in Miami since 2007, will relocate to Mexico City and will be renamed the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship.

The PGA insists the move to Mexico is not political.

“From a golf standpoint, we have no issues with Donald Trump. From a political standpoint, we are neutral. The PGA Tour has never been involved or cares to be involved in presidential politics,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tom Finchem said at a press conference today in Ohio. “…This is not a political decision.”

The course that will host the golf tournament, which will be played March 2-5, 2017, has not yet been announced. Some press reports predict it will be held at the Club de Golf Chapultepec, an exclusive course on the outskirts of the Mexican capital.

Mexican telecom conglomerate Grupo Salinas will replace Cadillac as the main sponsor of the tournament.

“Hosting a tournament with the stature of the World Golf Championships, and promoting it through the media assets of Grupo Salinas, is expected to influence golf’s growth at the grassroots level throughout Mexico,” Finchem said in a statement. “Grupo Salinas is committed to working with existing Mexican youth golf organizations such as First Swing, as well as the PGA TOUR and The First Tee, to grow and promote the game.”

The tournament is expected to give a major boost to Mexico’s golf game.

“With this great championship, Mexico is recognized as a major player in golf,” said Benjamin Salinas, the son of Grupo Salinas founder Ricardo Salinas, in a press release. “We have some of the best golf courses in the world, and we’ll have the top 50 golfers playing here. We welcome all – sponsors, golfers and audiences – to turn their eyes towards Mexico and discover the vast opportunities it offers to the international community.”

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez told the Miami Herald the PGA had previously attempted to move the tournament from Doral to Key Biscayne following Trump’s comments calling Mexican immigrants “criminals” and “rapists.”

Doral councilwoman Sandra Ruiz issued a statement Wednesday claiming the PGA’s decision to leave could have been prevented if Doral Mayor Luigi Boria had not given Donald Trump a key to the city.

The Donald couldn’t contain his anger about the move.

“It is a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf,” Trump said in a statement on Wednesday. “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 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.”

During a Tuesday interview with Fox News, the Republican presidential hopeful seemed very irritated by the PGA’s decision to cut ties. “They’re moving it to Mexico City which, by the way, I hope they have kidnapping insurance,” he said.

But no matter how much he whines, it looks like The Donald won’t be able to cheat this score card, like he allegedly did when golfing with Oscar de la Hoya.

Some of the world’s most famous golfers are already making jokes at Trump’s expense.

“We’ll just jump over the wall,” Irish golf star Rory Mcllroy said Wednesday in support of the PGA’s Mexico City deal.

Though Mexicans aren’t exactly crazy about golf, they will surely enjoy the poetic justice of beating Donald on the links.

 
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