Trump Might Be Being Dumped By LIV. Too Toxic Even For the Saudis?

In a variation on the kid back during the “Black Sox” scandal (when the Chicago White Sox threw the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds because gamblers paid more than their cheap-a$$ed owner) saying to the legendary “Shoeless” Joe Jackson “Say it ain’t so Joe”, I say “Say it IS so LIV!” The new, sort of professional golf tour funded with meg bucks by the Saudi Investment Fund seems about to cut ties with their biggest American backer – Donald Trump! Oh please, please let this be true! Sportskeeda Golf posted an interesting article exploring Trump’s absence at the season finale for the fledgling LIV Golf Tour, which was being held at one of his own courses. Yes, Trump’s got tons of legal problems but it might be LIV is done with Trump!

Call me shallow and mean-spirited but for a few (very few) people reading about some new piece of trouble that’s popped up for them makes me smile. Donald Trump is one of those few people and while his legal troubles, including and especially the criminal ones would seem the most pressing, the civil trial underway in NYC could be the end of the Trump Org. And his image as a super successful business tycoon. And leave him both personally and professionally bankrupt. Crazy as it sounds that’s as awful a thing for Trump to contemplate as prison. Or to put it another way for Trump…

Let’s face it. If as is likely he’s convicted in one or more of his criminal trials his prison conditions will, due to Secret Service requirements not be as spartan as for any other inmate. Trump knows this. Sure, the thought of prison scares him but he’s long been truly terrified of something else – people NOT perceiving him as super rich and an incredible business man of whom it can be said everything he touches turns golden. (Hence his obsession with gold decorations/furnishings) Of course, the reality as we know is different, and as the now common saying goes “everything Trump touches dies.” Or in harsher versions “Turns to sh*t”

If you’re not familiar with golf and in particular professional golf a little background is needed before I move on. Golf is a very old game. In that sense, a hundred years or so of what we know as a professional golf circuit or tour is a relatively new thing. Still, since before I was born (long before in fact) the PGA Tour has been THE premier professional golf tour in the world. It’s made a lot of money. For the tour itself of course, and the players who’ve earned their tour cards (privileges to play in tour events) as well as sponsors. Snobby? Sure, yet the PGA  has donated literally billions to charity, almost always local charities near the various stops where tour events are played.

Everything was all nice and orderly, both on our tour here in the U.S. and the then second most prominent, the European tour, now reborn as the DP Tour. There are some other pro tours, and of course “minor league” tours that serve as feeders to the major tours. But the proverbial Big Kahuna has been the PGA Tour. Hell, they’ve even had their own event that’s often billed (and plenty have lobbied for it to become) golf’s “Fifth Major” – the Player’s in which the field is limited to the top 150 or so players that have PGA Tour cards. It’s usually the toughest field in fact, and the commercials each year feature players saying ‘this is OUR championship.”

Several decades ago, then popular and a longtime #1 ranked player Greg Norman decided he was the greatest thing ever to happen to golf. He wanted more, and when the PGA didn’t want to let him call the shots he tried to create his own “Shark” (his nickname) tour and the whole idea flopped. He wasn’t the bigshot he’d thought himself to be, although some of his ideas were adopted in modified form. However, like a jilted lover he was bitter. Unlike most he didn’t eventually get over it and move on and instead nursed a grudge, hoping to one day destroy the PGA Tour for not recognizing him as God’s gift to golf.

When the Saudis, with MBS so badly in need of an image makeover deciding to expand their “sportwashing” with golf that they’d dabbled in with a couple of exclusive annual events into their own tour to “compete” with the PGA Norman became their guy. LIV was born. Those letters are the Roman Numerals for 54 which is how many holes each event has which is one full round less than on other golf tours including the PGA. There are any number of other gimmicks too. It’s a showy, not at all like a typical golf tournament atmosphere. Loud music blaring, drinks aplenty and more of a carnival atmosphere, at least for those who show up. Attendance has been… UNDER-whelming to put it kindly.

But this kind of showy crap is right up Donald Trump’s alley and he of course quickly jumped on board, offering his venues for LIV events. He also made a show of being there during them, and of course taking part in the “pro-ams” which take place the day before tour events (any tour) start. Except while he talked about his leaving NYC to attend the LIV season ending event at Doral down there in FL (which he owns) and he DID fly down, for the first time Trump didn’t play in the pro-am!

The article I linked to reports on how Trump has been a regular at LIV events, and until now a participant in the pro-ams. He does after all love to tout his golfing ability. (And as I note with so few fans that show up for the actual events, the even sparser crowds for a pro-am make it easy for him to CHEAT) The article’s premise is that though he was there locally Trump skipped the last LIVE event of the year due to his multiple legal problems:

The reason behind Trump’s absence is the criminal charges he is currently facing in court. For those who are not aware, he is facing four criminal cases with 91 felony counts. Many believe he chose not to face the media amidst these court cases.

Nice piece of butt kissing but I call b.s. Trump did after all (as the article, and other regular news outlets reported prior to his flying down to FL) say he was leaving his NYC civil trial to be there at HIS course for that LIV event. No, I think the real reason Trump was a no-show is revealed later in the article:

According to reports, the LIV Golf Team Championship might mark the last event hosted on a Donald Trump-owned golf course on a Saudi-backed circuit, and it may not return to next year’s calendar.

While the league’s schedule has yet to be announced, Sports Illustrated reported last month that the Trump-owned golf course would not be hosting any events in the upcoming season. This comes as a surprise, considering the close relationship he has had with the league.

Keep in mind two things. At one time the PGA annually held an event at Doral as part of its “Florida Swing” each spring. The “Blue Monster” course was never all that much like by the pros, but between Trump tricking it up and the controversy surrounding it the PGA dropped the event. And replaced that date on the calendar with an even in MEXICO! You think maybe Trump, who never gets over a grudge didn’t want to stick it to the PGA? So, when LIV came along and especially given the tons of money it was showering on the whole thing Trump was eager to partner up with them. In its first two year five events have been held at his venue, with three of them being this year.

And now it looks like LIV’s “sportswashing” now includes washing its hands of Donald Trump. Maybe they’re worried he won’t be in control of those courses next year? And that new ownership might want nothing to do with them? Whatever. The point is that Trump knows his partnership with LIV is on the rocks. If not already over.

THAT is why he blew off appearing at the pro-am or the season ending tournament.

Given all the other things he’s facing this might seem like a quite small thing. But this is Trump, and this is the kind of ego crusher that will burn him to his very core! I for one enjoy the hell out of his torment over this. I sure as hell won’t judge you if you feel the same.