Former US President Trump urges golfers to ‘take the money’ and join LIV circuit

Former US President Donald Trump yesterday 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 yesterday.“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.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.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.Meanwhile Smith leapt five spots to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, a career best, as a result of winning The Open Championship on Sunday.Smith beat out Cameron Young and Rory McIlroy to win the Claret Jug at St. Andrews in Scotland.Coincidentally, it was McIlroy whom Smith unseated from the No. 2 spot by winning his first major title. McIlroy, the star from Northern Ireland, only dropped by one position, winding up No. 3 in the new week’s rankings.Scottie Scheffler was in no danger of losing his hold on No. 1 after rocketing his way up the board this spring with four victories, including at the Masters. He remained No. 1 after tying for 21st at The Open.Patrick Cantlay remained No. 4, while Spain’s Jon Rahm slipped two spots to fifth and Xander Schauffele stepped back one spot to sixth.Smith fired an 8-under-par 64 Sunday – his second 64 of the week – to storm past McIlroy and notch a final score of 20-under 268 at the 150th playing of The Open.Smith’s previous career high in the OWGR was No. 3 earlier this year after he tied for 13th at the PGA Championship. He vaulted into the top 10 for the first time in March when he won The Players Championship, which awards 80 rankings points to its winner – the most of any event outside the four majors.The Aussie is now the fourth different player to hold the No. 2 ranking since Scheffler first rose to No. 1 in late March. Rahm, Collin Morikawa and McIlroy also spent time in the second spot.Young, a PGA Tour rookie still searching for his first professional win, climbed 13 spots to No. 19 in the world after finishing second in his debut at The Open. He began the calendar year ranked 134th.