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Highlights on Off The Ball

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Highlights on Off The Ball
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Golf

"Trump is them and they are him" | Donald Trump's relationships with PGA Tour golfers

Journalist Laurence Donegan joined Off The Ball on Monday where he reflected on how PGA golfers m...



Golf

"Trump is them and they are him" | Donald Trump's relationships with PGA Tour golfers

Journalist Laurence Donegan joined Off The Ball on Monday where he reflected on how PGA golfers may behave towards Donald Trump after his term.

Once Trump has left the White House, Donegan does not expect any shortage of golfers to help the former president with his considerable down time.

"When Tiger played with Trump and we all piled on, he said 'I have to respect the office.' Trump won't be in the office after January 21st, so it will be very interesting to see who still hangs out with this guy an who doesn't.

"I would suspect there will be a queue of golfers running to play with the disgraced American President Donald Trump.

"I had a go at Rory McIlroy a while back for playing with Trump - but he subsequently said he wished he had not done it.

"Yet golf has not been in the vanguard of the anti-Trump movement."

Is Donald Trump toxic for golf?

Is Trump toxic to golf or is it just a concern for the brands involved? In another example, Bryson DeChambeau dropped the Trump-owned Bedminster Golf Club logo from his bag.

"Like the PGA of America, Bryson is worried about the brand but a) he would not have been paid very much to carry the Trump-owned Bedminster GC logo on his bag because Trump is nothing if not cheap."

What percentage of PGA Tour professionals would be supportive of Trump politically?

"The number we will never know but you would have to think it would be at least 80%. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of one single publicly liberal golfer on the PGA Tour. Not one.

"I can't think of any, which is quite remarkable when you think about it."

The lack of politically-liberal golfers on tour might indicate the desire to play with the soon-t0-be-former President.

"Trump plays so much golf that they have to pay attention.

"It is not often reported but he plays a lot with Pat Perez. These names are never released but from time to time something will slip out and there are always PGA Tour golfers involved.

"He is them and they are him. PGA golfers who express a political view on social media, [they] are usually terrible right-wing opinions.

"It is now forgotten, but back in the day Rickie Fowler before his minders got to him used to post some vile right-wing stuff on his Twitter feed.

"Obviously that was bad for the brand and it's been expunged so it's now all cookies and cream."

Donegan pointed out that there is plenty of recent evidence suggesting that golfers have no issue with Trump.

"Post January 21st, there will be a queue of golfers lining up to play with Donald Trump.

"Just look at last week with Sorenstam and Gary Player the day after the insurgency in Washington DC.

"They are lining up to get their little medals from Donald Trump. It was just astonishing."


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Donald Trump Golf Weekly Justin Thomas Laurence Donegan PGA Tour Pat Perez Rickie Fowler