A women’s advocacy group will protest the USGA’s decision to hold this year’s U.S. Women’s Open at a Donald Trump-owned golf course by flying a banner over the men’s U.S. Open on Saturday in Erin, Wisc.
The USGA has said it will not be moving next month’s U.S. Women’s Open away from Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., about 45 miles west of New York City. On its website, UltraViolet called the USGA’s choice of venues “straight up offensive” and said the choice merely gives the president free publicity.
“USGA and LPGA are making a women golfers give millions in revenue, free advertising and good branding to Donald Trump,” the statement reads.
But USGA chief Mike Davis said the focus of the event will be golf, not the president.
“Let me make it very clear that [when] we came here, this was all about coming to a great golf course to play the greatest championship in women’s golf,” Davis said last month, per The Post’s Barry Svrluga. “You know, the USGA, since its founding in 1894, has never been involved with politics. Our focus is solely on the game of golf, and we appreciate that there’s some out there that want to make this a political event, but we’re not.”
The U.S. Women’s Open will be the second golf major held at a Trump course this year. In May, the Senior PGA Championship was held at Trump National in Potomac Falls, Va. Trump National in New Jersey also will host the 2022 PGA Championship. The PGA of America awarded the events to the Trump courses in May 2014, more than a year before he announced his candidacy for president.