PGA Tour to move WGC Championship from Trump National Doral to Mexico City
Thursday 2 June 2016 22:33, UK
The WGC-Cadillac Championship will move from Trump National Doral to Mexico City and be renamed next year, the PGA Tour confirmed on Wednesday.
The event, which will be called the WGC-Mexico Championship, will move to its new venue in 2017 as part of a seven-year deal with Grupo Salinas.
A number of golf's most influential organisations have distanced themselves from Trump National Doral's owner, Donald Trump, in the wake of the 69-year-old's controversial comments about Mexicans and Muslims.
World No 3 Rory McIlroy joked about the change in the venue at a press conference on Wednesday.
"It's quite ironic we're going to Mexico after being at Doral," said the four-time major champion. "We'll just jump over the wall (Trump has previously stated he will build a wall on the US-Mexico border if he is president)."
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem released a statement on Wednesday explaining the decision to change venue.
"Since the debut of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the intent has always been to conduct these tournaments around the world," read the statement.
"Once it became apparent that we would not be able to secure sponsorship at levels that would sustain the event and help it grow at Trump National Doral, we began having serious discussions with Ricardo and Benjamin Salinas, who expressed strong interest in bringing a tournament to Mexico City to benefit golf and its development throughout Mexico.
"We are very excited about this new opportunity and what it brings to the World Golf Championships."
Trump, who is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, criticised the PGA Tour and its decision to move the tournament.
"It is a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf to have the PGA Tour consider moving the World Golf Championships, which have been hosted in Miami for the last 55 years, to Mexico," Trump said.
"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 revenues for local communities and charities and the enjoyment of hundreds and thousands of fans who make the tournament an annual tradition."
