PGA of America Pulls 2022 Championship from Trump Course
The event at Trump Bedminster was to the first men’s major at the course
Posted On: January 11, 2021 By :The PGA of America has pulled the 2022 PGA Championship from Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, citing concerns over what holding the event at a course owned by President Donald Trump would do for the organization’s image following last week’s riots at the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump protesters.
The event, one of men’s professional golf’s four majors, was to be the first men’s major held at the course. The club hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2017.
“It’s become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster will be detrimental to the PGA of America brand, and will put at risk the PGA’s ability to deliver our many programs and sustain the longevity of our mission,” PGA of American President Jim Richerson said in a statement. “It was a decision made to ensure the PGA of America and PGA professionals can continue to lead and grow our great game for decades to come.”
The 2021 event will be held at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina.
In a statement to the Washington Post, a Trump Organization spokeswoman said the PGA of America did not have the right to cancel the contract.
“We have had a beautiful partnership with the PGA of America and are incredibly disappointed with their decision,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “This is a breach of a binding contract and they have no right to terminate the agreement. 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.”
Meanwhile, The R&A, which organized the British Open, released a separate statement on Monday saying the Trump-owned Turnberry course in Scotland will also not be considered for the event in the immediate future.
“We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A. “We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”
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