President-elect Donald Trump was joined by LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson for a round of golf at his Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida
Golf ace Dustin Johnson hit the course alongside President-elect Donald Trump at his lavish Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida.
Accompanied by his brother and caddie, Austin, this pairing underscores Trump’s continuing influence within LIV Golf amidst swirling rumours of a possible merger with the PGA Tour. A picture shared on Instagram by Austin captured the duo on the course Wednesday afternoon, followed by footage of Trump nailing a drive as the Johnsons voiced their approval.
Further cementing Trump’s connection to LIV Golf was his recent meetup with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of LIV Golf and head of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, at UFC 309 in New York. This encounter is sparking beliefs about Trump playing a key broker role in the anticipated detente between golf’s titans, PGA and LIV.
On another front, Rory McIlroy voiced his trust that Trump, aided by billionaire backer Elon Musk, might expedite the merger deal. After Trump’s victory against Kamala Harris, McIlroy expressed optimism: “He might be able to. He’s got Elon Musk, who I think is the smartest man in the world, beside him. We might be able to do something if we can get Musk involved, too.”
“Yeah, I think from the outside looking in, it’s probably a little less complicated than it actually is,” he said. “But obviously, Trump has a great relationship with Saudi Arabia. He’s got a great relationship with golf. He’s a lover of golf. So, maybe. Who knows?”
Trump’s connection with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was famously tight during his tenure in the White House, often defending the Crown Prince despite widespread disapproval.
The ex-President is not shy about his passion for the sport, owning elite golf resorts such as Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and Trump National Doral, both of which are hosting LIV Golf gatherings, although Johnson’s 4Aces only managed an 8th place finish at the recent LIV Miami event.
When discussing the groundbreaking merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, declared in June 2023, Trump confidently remarked it would be a quick job for him to seal such deals, boasting on the Let’s Go Podcast that it shouldn’t take him “more than about 15 minutes” to wrap things up.
“I do think [the deal] will come together. I could certainly help it,” assured Trump on the podcast. “I would say it would take me the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done.”
