European Tour rejects Donald Trump’s offer to sponsor the Scottish Open – Golf news
Multi-billion dollar American business tycoon, Donald Trump has now switched to petty arm twisting of the European Tour which has been facing a financial crisis and dearth of sponsors for at least two of its’ events at the moment. Following last month’s
announcement by Barclays that they will not be extending their sponsorship to the Scottish Open, the tour officials have desperately been looking for credible sponsorship which would fulfil the gap left by Barclays.
A flamboyant Trump has floated an offer to George O’ Grady, chief of the European Tour for a possible sponsorship deal for the event. The offer has not come without certain strings attached to it. Trump wants the event to be moved to his under construction
course from its current venue of Castle Stuart.
O'Grady said, “Trump has rung me twice, once from Australia and once from New York, offering commiserations and asking if there was anything he could do to help. But there is no way the Trump course will be ready until 2014. So we're not going to go to his
course as it's too early.”
Trump has been involved in building a course at the Balmedie near Aberdeen in Scotland, which promises to be one of the most expensive courses in the world. The billion-dollar gigantic project incorporates residential blocks, five star hotels, clubs and
several other luxurious amenities and promises to be one of the most celebrated courses of the country.
The project, however, has suffered several impediments in its building with one of the most famous being the encroachment on a private property in vicinity of the club. The owners later filed a lawsuit against Trump and Co. for violation of public property
act.
The course still requires two years time before it can be opened up for a round of golf. O’ Grady, however, hoped that at some point in the future, Trump’s sprawling course will get an European Tour title event.
He added, “He's in love with his golf course and his business, and the time may come, I'm certain, when his course will host a big golf event of some sort, because he wants it and the venue warrants it.”
Another hopeful contender for the title event is the French Open committee, which wants the European Tour to replace the event with French Open on the calendar. Officials at the tour committee are not in favour of such a move as it will shift the event away
from links courses and probably witness a drop down of American players who come to play the event to familiarise with links golf.
The Scottish Open is the second event on the tour which was left rudderless after sponsors refused to extend respective contracts for another year. Irish Open was the first event which was disowned by sponsors and the European Tour had to finance the event
from their tour’s resources.
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