No PGA Tour stop at Trump National Doral Miami

[newtogolf]

1 hour ago, Chilli Dipper said:

That's right, everything that doesn't go Donald Trump's way is a big freaking liberal conspiracy. 

I give up. It's obviously a globalist conspiracy.

I had to go back and reread what I wrote because I'm not sure how your response applies to what I wrote.  

I don't care that they moved the tournament out of Trumps course, but the choice of Mexico City is a bit coincidental don't you think?   What I did say is that Finchem not only chose to spite Trump which is his right but also to take taxable income and job opportunities away from Americans.  

[ChrisP]

1 hour ago, newtogolf said:

I agree, I could care less they took it from Trump.  Trump had to know his rhetoric was going to make enemies with liberals like Finchem.  

Not only did Finchem spite Trump but he also hurt America by moving revenue and job opportunities from the US to Mexico, a country that doesn't respect our borders and is a parasite to our country.  

It's just that the PGA is lying about it that ticks me off. It is totally political. Id have more respect for Finchem if he came out and said he took it away from Trump National because he doesn't like Trump. I'd still think it was stupid to get involved in politics, but at least he'd be straight up and honest.

[newtogolf]

8 minutes ago, ChrisP said:

It's just that the PGA is lying about it that ticks me off. It is totally political. Id have more respect for Finchem if he came out and said he took it away from Trump National because he doesn't like Trump. I'd still think it was stupid to get involved in politics, but at least he'd be straight up and honest.

He doesn't have the guts to be honest publicly, though I'm sure behind closed doors he's pounding his chest on how he stuck it to The Donald.  

Of course it's political, all of their decisions regarding tournaments at Trumps courses have been political but he's not ever going to admit it, at least not until after the election.  America and Florida are the big losers here, along with the pro golfers that have to travel and stay in Mexico.  I'd love to see a bunch of them pull out just to make a statement to Finchem, if I were a pro there's no way I'd support Finchem.  

[ChrisP]

I'm willing to bet several guys will pull out. For one, it's Mexico City. Secondly, I'd say minimum 75% of golfers are republican/conservatives so the fact Finchem made it about politics (even though he won't publicly say so) isn't gonna make a lot of these guys happy.

Edited June 3, 2016 by ChrisP

[Chilli Dipper]

42 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

I had to go back and reread what I wrote because I'm not sure how your response applies to what I wrote.  

I don't care that they moved the tournament out of Trumps course, but the choice of Mexico City is a bit coincidental don't you think?   What I did say is that Finchem not only chose to spite Trump which is his right but also to take taxable income and job opportunities away from Americans.  

If we were talking about a place like Akron or the Quad Cities, where the PGA Tour is the biggest event of the year in those cities, I may see your point. That said, Miami is one of the busiest tourist cities in the world: among American cities, only New York attracts more international travelers. The tour also isn't losing its presence in the South Florida market, because they still have the Honda Classic. As far as economic impact on the community is concerned, Doral ranks low on the list.

35 minutes ago, ChrisP said:

It's just that the PGA is lying about it that ticks me off. It is totally political. Id have more respect for Finchem if he came out and said he took it away from Trump National because he doesn't like Trump. I'd still think it was stupid to get involved in politics, but at least he'd be straight up and honest.

If Doral was a regular tour stop, and not a WGC event operated by the PGA Tour (in conjunction with the other major golf tours), it wouldn't have been as much of a problem. There certainly are companies who would jump at the opportunity to sponsor a tournament hosted by Donald Trump, but they wouldn't be the kind of sponsors Tim Finchem has typically desired for his flagship events. Don't get me wrong: the politics of the PGA Tour's decision are inseparable from the economics. But the other tours have been grumbling for some time about the monopoly America has on the WGC events they all have a stake in, and the tour's expansion into Latin Anerica hasn't come out of the blue. The politics just make it more convenient to cut ties.

[Chilli Dipper]

18 minutes ago, ChrisP said:

I'm willing to bet several guys will pull out. For one, it's Mexico City. Secondly, I'd say minimum 75% of golfers are republican/conservatives so the fact Finchem made it about politics (even though he won't publicly say so) isn't gonna make a lot of these guys happy.

It's a limited-field event, and about half of the field consists of international players who neither have a reason to care about American politics, nor find traveling to exotic locales like Mexico City for a tournament anything out of the ordinary. Life will go on.

[newtogolf]

11 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

It's a limited-field event, and about half of the field consists of international players who neither have a reason to care about American politics, nor find traveling to exotic locales like Mexico City for a tournament anything out of the ordinary. Life will go on.

Pro golfers are pulling out of the Olympics due to security issues in Brazil and the Zika virus, I believe they will view Mexico City with similar concerns.  

[Chilli Dipper]

Just now, newtogolf said:

Pro golfers are pulling out of the Olympics due to security issues in Brazil and the Zika virus, I believe they will view Mexico City with similar concerns.  

Not with a $10,000,000 purse at stake, they won't.

[ChrisP]

14 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

It's a limited-field event, and about half of the field consists of international players who neither have a reason to care about American politics, nor find traveling to exotic locales like Mexico City for a tournament anything out of the ordinary. Life will go on.

Good point about the international players. But a lot live over here full-time so  they're very interested in what's going on. Still think you'll have a few pullouts in the end. Not a lot but a few.

[Chilli Dipper]

20 minutes ago, ChrisP said:

Good point about the international players. But a lot live over here full-time so  they're very interested in what's going on. Still think you'll have a few pullouts in the end. Not a lot but a few.

The HSBC Champions is always missing a few players who don't want to make the trip to China. Rory and some of the top European players are planning to skip Firestone this year, because playing it would have forced them to go three months without playing on their home tour due to the compressed Olympic schedule. A few pullouts are normal at WGC events. Whether anyone cares enough about standing with Donald Trump a year from now to give up on a potential $1.6 million payday, well...let's wait until November to figure that out.

[newtogolf]

47 minutes ago, Chilli Dipper said:

The HSBC Champions is always missing a few players who don't want to make the trip to China. Rory and some of the top European players are planning to skip Firestone this year, because playing it would have forced them to go three months without playing on their home tour due to the compressed Olympic schedule. A few pullouts are normal at WGC events. Whether anyone cares enough about standing with Donald Trump a year from now to give up on a potential $1.6 million payday, well...let's wait until November to figure that out.

You keep making it about Donald Trump when the real issue is the new location, Mexico City.  I doubt any pro cares about the impact on Trump, their issues would be about Finchem making this about politics and moving the tournament to a questionable location.  

[Patch]

Finchem is saying it is not about Trump or his politics. It is about the new sponsor and his desire to grow golf in Mexico. Of course you have to decide if Finny is 100% telling the truth or not. Myself, I always had the thought that the players ran the pga, and Finny. So maybe players want to go to Mexico. 

 

[Chilli Dipper]

33 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

You keep making it about Donald Trump when the real issue is the new location, Mexico City.  I doubt any pro cares about the impact on Trump, their issues would be about Finchem making this about politics and moving the tournament to a questionable location.  

There's nothing questionable about the location, unless you have an inherent problem with holding golf tournaments anywhere outside of the U.S. or Western Europe. Mexico City is a cosmopolitan city, and the pros will be given the VIP treatment, just as they do in Dubai, Cape Town, Shanghai, or Istanbul. It's not like they're going to be dropped off in the middle of the worst slum with a 9-iron, and told to fend for themselves.

15 minutes ago, Patch said:

Finchem is saying it is not about Trump or his politics. It is about the new sponsor and his desire to grow golf in Mexico. Of course you have to decide if Finny is 100% telling the truth or not. Myself, I always had the thought that the players ran the pga, and Finny. So maybe players want to go to Mexico. 

 

Finchem definitely wants to expand into Latin America. He's seen the European Tour evolve into the World Tour Minus the Americas during his term as commissioner, and he wants to claim the rest of the Western Hemisphere before anyone else can. The tour has established tournaments in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic in recent years, and put in the work to establish a Latin American developmental tour. An event in Mexico City has probably been on his wish list for a while, and the Trump thing was the easiest way to make it happen.

[boogielicious]

13 hours ago, ChrisP said:

I'm willing to bet several guys will pull out. For one, it's Mexico City. Secondly, I'd say minimum 75% of golfers are republican/conservatives so the fact Finchem made it about politics (even though he won't publicly say so) isn't gonna make a lot of these guys happy.

Doubt it. Non-American players don't view the issues the same as we do. Rory pointed that out. While it may have been political (I'm not a fan of Finchem either), it does follow the target of the PGA trying to grow golf. The NFL wants to have a game in Mexico City. Mexico City is close and they already host professional golf tournaments. It fits. If it was El Salvador or in Nicaragua, I would see your point.

12 hours ago, newtogolf said:

Pro golfers are pulling out of the Olympics due to security issues in Brazil and the Zika virus, I believe they will view Mexico City with similar concerns.  

Olympics is different. It is a one-off event that really doesn't count towards the prestige and money of pro golf yet. No one is going to pull out of a WGC event if they qualify.

12 hours ago, Chilli Dipper said:

Not with a $10,000,000 purse at stake, they won't.

Yup.

[Chris E]

Trump supporters getting pissed about the thought of Finchem lying to them. 

The irony is lost on their lack of self awareness. 

Edited June 4, 2016 by Chris E

[Mr. Desmond]

4 minutes ago, Chris E said:

Trump supporters getting pissed about the thought of Finchem lying to them. 

The irony is lost on their lack of self awareness. 

No kidding... lost souls who can't see through a carnival barker.

With Finchem, it's all about the money.

[Rainmaker]

FWIW . .I don't think Mexico City is a questionable location.  It's a world-class city.  I've never been but I want to go and would not hesitate to visit.  There are parts of it that are as safe as anywhere.  There are not going to be any special safety concerns for golfers and I doubt anyone would drop out strictly for safety reasons.  I bet it will be entirely possible for golfers to stay completely within the confines of a resort, if they want.   

I guess we'll see because it's happening . . but I think it's a great location, really. 

This is what Frommers has to say about the area where the course is:

Chapultepec Park & Polanco -- The large residential area west of the city center and Zona Rosa centers on Chapultepec Park. The largest green area in Mexico City, it was dedicated as a park in the 15th century by the Aztec ruler Nezahualcóyotl. Together with the neighboring colonia of Polanco (north of the park), this is Mexico City's most exclusive address. With its zoo, many notable museums, antiques shops, stylish shopping, fine dining and nightlife, and upscale hotels, it's an ideal place for discovering contemporary Mexican culture. Avenida Presidente Masaryk is the main artery -- think of it as the Rodeo Drive or Champs-Elysées of Mexico City. Some of the city's best high-rise hotels are located along the aptly named Campos Eliseos, Polanco's version of the Champs-Elysées

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/mexico-city/713343#ixzz4AgALDSIw

 

Sounds pretty awful.  If any tour players, understandably, don't want to go, I will take one for the team.  I'm gonna need 20 per side, though. 

 

[Papa Steve 55]

The PGA, like any other business will follow the money. If a sponsor would  pony up enough dough, they would  play at a 54 hole muny.