Donald Trump arrived at Trump National Doral on Sunday afternoon to watch the final round of the Cadillac Championship at his own golf course, making a low-key appearance at a PGA Tour event that had drawn scrutiny earlier in the week over notably sparse crowds during the tournament’s opening rounds.
The president pulled into the “Trump Suite” on the Blue Monster course at 12:15 p.m. local time, flanked by granddaughter Kai Trump and Vanessa Trump, who is in a relationship with Tiger Woods. Notably, the legendary golfer did not attend the event after a March 2026 rollover car crash in Florida and subsequent arrest.
The visit formed part of a broader Florida trip that had already included a speech at The Villages retirement community on Friday and an appearance in West Palm Beach.
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It was his first public events since a man was arrested at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 after law enforcement said he rushed the event carrying multiple weapons.
Trump’s arrival at Doral carried its own political and symbolic weight. For a decade, the PGA Tour had shunned his courses, pulling its long-running Doral event in 2016 and relocating it to Mexico City amid concern from sponsors over his political rhetoric.
Trump had bristled publicly at the time, calling the move “a sad day for Miami, the United States and the game of golf” and adding a pointed dig at the replacement venue: “I hope they have kidnapping insurance.”
The tour’s departure helped fuel his alliance with LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed rival circuit that hosted events at Doral from 2022 onwards while the PGA Tour stayed away.
Now, in Trump’s second term, the PGA Tour is back. The Cadillac Championship represents the first Tour event at the venue since 2016, and its return to Doral has been one of the more prominent examples of institutions that once distanced themselves from Trump quietly accommodating him.
Eric Trump, the president’s son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, framed the weekend in celebratory terms. “We are incredibly proud to welcome the PGA Cadillac Championship back to Trump National Doral,” he said in a statement. “This tournament has long stood among the very best in the world of golf, and there is no doubt this will be an unforgettable weekend.”
President Donald Trump watched play from the Trump Suite during the final round -Credit:Getty
The president himself appeared to relish it. “They’re at my tournament right now, the PGA,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday, noting that he had personally played golf with several of the competitors.
He also teased a forthcoming LIV event at one of his other properties. “In two weeks, LIV is going to be at my course right here on the Potomac.”
The tournament had not been without its complications. Images from the grandstand surrounding the 18th green circulated on social media earlier in the week showing large sections of empty seating, even during rounds featuring prominent names.
The low crowd numbers prompted concern among fans and commentators about the tournament’s ability to draw spectators despite carrying a $3.6 million first prize and sitting fifth among the season’s eight signature events.