PGA of America keeps wary on Trump political progress

With US presidential hopeful Donald Trump a polarizing figure even as he leads the polls, the PGA of America is treading warily while maintaining links to the Trump organization.

The PGA of America last month yanked it's Grand Slam of Golf, featuring the year's major champions, from Trump's Los Angeles course in the wake of the celebrity billionaire's controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants.

Speaking Wednesday on the eve of the PGA Championship, PGA of America chief executive Pete Bevacqua said the organization had yet to settle on a new venue for the Grand Slam of golf.

And he wouldn't speculate on whether it would return to a Trump-owned venue should he win the presidency.

"We won't be prognosticators here in terms of the presidential election," Bevacqua said.

"We didn't want the Grand Slam or any one of our events, our championships, to be compromised by politics or to be any kind of a political football," he said.

"It wouldn't be fair for anybody involved in the Grand Slam. We are certainly considering options for the Grand Slam this year and in the future. We haven't made those decisions, it's top of mind."

But Bevacqua noted that the PGA of America, like other golf organizations around the world, maintain ties to the Trump organization which is "certainly a factor in golf."

The real estate tycoon owns two golf courses in Scotland, part of a portfolio of 16, most of which are in the United States.

The Women's British Open was held two weeks ago at Turnberry in Scotland, which was bought by Trump last year.

Whether Trump's foray into politics might prompt the PGA of America to further distance itself from Trump and his golf properties remains to be seen.

"We have a relationship with the Trump organization as a golf entity, that's what we're focused on," Bevacqua said.

"We certainly don't comment necessarily on presidential politics, we don't agree with everything that's been said or done, but we're monitoring the situation and we made the one decision about the Grand Slam and we haven't made really more decisions than that."
Source: AFP