President Donald Trump was not involved during the Cadillac Championship trophy presentation at his golf course in Miami on Sunday.
Heading into the final round at Trump National Doral, Cameron Young led comfortably, eventually finishing at -19 to beat out Scottie Scheffler (-13) and Ben Griffin (-12) for the first wire-to-wire win at Doral since 1977. Among those watching Young’s outing was Trump, who took time out of his presidential schedule to watch the PGA Tour’s return to his course.
And despite concerns about sparse crowds, Trump, who watched from behind glass alongside the 18th green, did not make his presence known to the audience as Young received the trophy.
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After Young sank his final putt, he took off his cap and acknowledged the president’s appearance. Trump also was spotted clapping and applauding the star after his dominant weekend in Miami, pointing and giving Young a thumbs-up as the crowd roared.
That said, despite the tournament being held at his course, Trump was not visible as Young, 28, received his latest accomplishment. It was a far departure from the FIFA Club World Cup last year, when Trump made himself the center of Chelsea’s trophy lift after winning the tournament at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The president’s son, Eric Trump, was part of the ceremony, posing for photos alongside Young and the trophy.
The CBS Sports’ broadcast also did not show the trophy ceremony, instead replaying the broadcast of the final few holes as the tournament filled its TV window after weather wreaked havoc on the schedule.
Before he was celebrated for his win, Young spoke with CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis on the victory and explained his mindset after closing out the win dominantly.
“I think when the golf courses are difficult, when the conditions are difficult, that tends to make it easier for me mentally,” he said to Balionis.
President Donald Trump watched play from the Trump Suite during the final round -Credit:Getty
“So yeah, I mean, that’s a big part of keeping yourself in it out here. It’s difficult with the wind and, you know, the conditions were pretty benign today, but it is still a hard golf course. And, you know, thankfully I was able to stay where my feet were and had a bunch of good shots.”
As for what the win meant for him moving forward, Young added, “I think the self-belief just continues to build. You know, I’ve put myself in plenty of good places over the course of the last four or five years and, you know, recently have started to come out, you know, on the better side of it.
“So yeah, just excited for, you know, the next few weeks and moving on toward Charlotte and the PGA.”
That said, the president was spotted at his golf course watching throughout the final round of the Cadillac Championship. Of note, the event had drawn scrutiny earlier in the week with the sparse crowds at the course.
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The 79-year-old pulled into the “Trump Suite” on the Blue Monster course, joined by Vanessa Trump and his granddaughter and aspiring golf star Kai Trump. It marked his first public appearance since a man was arrested at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 after law enforcement said he rushed into the event carrying multiple weapons.
For a decade, the PGA Tour did not have any events owned by Trump as his political rhetoric raised concerns among sponsors. With the Doral event back on the calendar, Eric Trump, the president’s son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization, released a statement on the Cadillac Championship being the first event at Doral.
“We are incredibly proud to welcome the PGA Cadillac Championship back to Trump National Doral,” his statement ahead of the tournament read. “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.”
Despite how excited Trump and his family were to have a PGA Tour event back at Doral, it was clear that fans did not share their enthusiasm. Throughout the week, images of the grandstand surrounding the 18th hole went viral on social media, showing how few fans attended.