Donald Trump urges golfers to abandon the ‘disloyal’ PGA for the Saudi-backed LIV tour

Donald Trump has called on golfers to ‘take the money’ and join the Saudi-backed LIV tour while also slamming the PGA as ‘disloyal’.

Will Cameron Smith join the LIV Tour? Picture: AFP Images

Former US President Donald Trump has urged golfers to “take the money” and sign with the Saudi-backed LIV series amid reports more players were poised to join the controversial circuit.

Trump, who is hosting LIV events at two of his golf courses this year, said in a post on his Truth Social network that players should not hesitate to abandon the PGA Tour, which he branded “disloyal”.

“All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump wrote.

“If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were,” he added.

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Will Cameron Smith join the LIV Tour? Picture: AFP Images

Trump concluded the post with a message of congratulations to newly minted British Open champion Cam Smith, the Australian who stormed to victory at St Andrews on Sunday with a superb final round.

Smith is among the latest list of names who are reportedly poised to sign with LIV Golf, which has already recruited a slew of top names with jaw-dropping contracts which in some cases are reported to have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

LIV Golf, which is fronted by Australian great Greg Norman, is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

Human Rights groups have criticised the venture saying it exists solely to boost Saudi Arabia’s international reputation, a phenomenon labelled “sportswashing”.

Smith bristled -- but did not issue an outright denial -- when asked about reports linking him to LIV following his victory in the Open on Sunday.

“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not that good,” Smith said.

“I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”

As well as Smith, LIV are also reported to be on the brink of signing Swedish star Henrik Stenson. Stenson is expected to be stripped of Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy if he if he signs with LIV.

Donald Trump called the PGA Tour ‘disloyal’. Picture: AFP Images

Trump meanwhile did not address criticism of his involvement of his golf properties with LIV events by relatives of those killed and injured during the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the atrocity were Saudi nationals.

In an open letter to Trump released on Sunday, the 9/11 Justice group urged Trump to cut ties to LIV Golf. Trump National Golf Club at Bedminster, New Jersey is set to host a LIV event on July 29-31, while his Trump National course at Doral in Florida will stage the October 27-30 tournament.

“We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of Ground Zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks,” the group wrote in its letter.

“It is difficult for us to fully express the extreme pain, frustration and anger this upcoming tournament at Bedminster causes our community...it is incomprehensible to us that a former President of the United States would cast our loved ones aside for personal financial gain.”

Cameron Smith secured his first major at the British Open. Picture: Getty Images

Smith’s icy response to rebel tour probe sparks rumours

Is Australia’s newly crowned British Open champion Cameron Smith about to join golf’s LIV rebel series?

That’s the burning question the golf world is now grappling with after Smith declined to give an answer to the hottest topic in the sport after his stunning win at St Andrews on Sunday.

As previously reported by News Corp, highly-placed sources have revealed that a number of high-profile Australian golfers are poised to jump ship and join the Saudi-financed LIV series now that the last major of 2022 is over.

Australia's Cameron Smith was asked about joining the rebel LIV golf tour after winning the British Open. Picture: AFP

But when Smith was asked to clarify his position after his historic win in the 150th British Open, he did not provide an answer.

“I just won the British Open, and you’re asking about that. I think that’s pretty not that good,” he told a news conference.

Asked again, he replied: “ I don’t know, mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I’m here to win golf tournaments.”

While Smith’s response didn’t provide any clarity to the question, the absence of a denial has already set social media buzzing.

Sources have said a series of high-profile players from Australia, Asia and Europe are expected to announce they are joining LIV this week.

AUSTRALIA SET TO BECOME FRONT LINE IN REBEL GOLF WAR

There’s no end in sight to the bitter civil war that erupted during the 150th British Open at St Andrews, with Australia looming as one of the next key battlegrounds in the fight for golf’s future.

News Corp can confirm that high-level talks are well advanced for the Saudi-financed LIV series to stage a tournament in Sydney next April after the gloves came off during a spiteful week at the spiritual home of golf.

It’s understood that the multimillion-dollar event will obliterate the record for the richest golf event ever seen in Australia and will feature some of the biggest names in the sport; including those that have already signed for the rebel series — and some that are about to.

Greg Norman has his chequebook ready and his believed to be looking at several Australians.

The loudest whisper around the golf traps that just won’t go away is that the floodgates are about to open once the last major for 2022 ends with the presentation of the Claret Jug.

There is a gap of more than nine months to the 2023 Masters at Augusta National and LIV boss Greg Norman has his chequebook ready and a deep war chest to play with.

And don’t expect the Shark just to give up after the Royal and Ancient golf club petulantly banned the two-time British Open champion from being included in the historic 150th celebrations.

Tiger Woods has been critical of the Saudi-backed breakaway series.

Phil Mickelson, the 2013 British Open champion, was also told he wasn’t welcome while many of the 23 LIV players competing in the championship were taunted by the crowds after the establishment’s two biggest names Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy spoke out against the rebels.

If anything, the ugly events that took place at the Old Course in Scotland have only strengthened the resolve of LIV supporters to change the way golf is run in the same way tennis players did in the 1960s and cricketers in the 1970.

Highly-placed sources have told News Corp that LIV has a number of high-profile Australian golfers in their sights whose potential sign-on fees will have skyrocketed after many made a huge impression at St Andrews.

And it’s not just the Aussies preparing to jump ship with newly-crowned major winners also understood to be poised to make the switch, with the next wave of announcements coming as early as next week then another after next month’s season ending PGA Tour championship.

Originally published as Donald Trump urges golfers to abandon the ‘disloyal’ PGA for the Saudi-backed LIV tour