Golf legend Jack Nicklaus decried that “cancel culture” had caused the PGA to pull its slated championship at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Nicklaus, who has won 18 major championships, said that the tournament should not have been moved to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Nicklaus told Fire Pit Collective that while he likes PGA chief Seth Waugh, he should not have kowtowed to cancel culture and changed the location.
“Seth didn’t need this job,” Nicklaus said. “He took the job because he thought he could give the PGA of America some good guidance. And I think he’s doing that. But this move is cancel culture. Donald Trump may be a lot of things, but he loves golf and he loves this country. He’s a student of the game and a formidable figure in the game. What he does in the future in golf will depend on what the cancel culture will allow him to do.”
According to Breitbart, in Jan. 2021, Waugh said that a “political situation not of our making” had compelled him to seek a new host for the tournament. He cited the situation as an “existential” threat and that he “had no choice.”
“We’re fiduciaries for our members, for the game, for our mission and for our brand,” Waugh expressed. “And how do we best protect that? Our feeling was given the tragic events of Wednesday that we could no longer hold it at Bedminster. The damage could have been irreparable. The only real course of action was to leave.”
In response, the Trump Organization said the PGA had “no right to terminate” the agreement.
By December, the PGA had reached an undisclosed settlement agreement with the Trump Organization.
A PGA press release from December reads:
“The PGA of America (“PGA”) and The Trump Organization today announce that they have reached a settlement resolving their ongoing dispute regarding the PGA’s decision to cancel its contract with Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey to host the 2022 PGA Championship.”
After the instance, former President Donald Trump said that the settlement was “a wonderful conclusion for all. Thank you to the PGA of America!”
Via Newsmax