Organizers for the 2028 Olympics are working with administration officials to host a golf tournament at President Donald Trump’s California club in the run-up to the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles, according to a new report.
The event, proposed to be held at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, would be a pro-am tournament, pairing amateurs with professional players, sources told Politico. It is not anticipated to be an official Olympics event.
The proposed competition underscores how organizers view a productive relationship with the White House as crucial to successfully hosting the games, Politico reported. Although international and local sports organizations spearhead the Olympics, the scale of the weeks-long sporting extravaganza necessitates substantial federal support, including on visa coordination and security operations.
A congressional committee has signed off on $875 million in funds for the LA Olympics as part of its 2027 transportation funding legislation. At the same time, the Olympics committee has established a visa processing portal for competitors at the behest of the State Department.
By holding a tournament at Trump’s golf course close to the games, organizers may improve the odds that the president takes part in the opening ceremony, Politico reports. Historically, heads of state have played a role in the opening ceremonies, including former President Ronald Reagan in 1984, the last time the games were held in Los Angeles.
A White House spokesperson referred The Independent to the Trump Organization for comment. A representative for the company did not immediately respond.
Trump’s 18-hole golf course spans roughly 150 acres along the Pacific Ocean in Rancho Palos Verdes. The PGA Grand Slam of Golf was scheduled for the venue in 2015 but organizers withdrew following criticism of Trump’s remarks about immigrants.
Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA28 Olympic Games, has led much of the outreach to the Trump administration regarding the tournament, per Politico.
The business executive, who has long donated to Democrats, faced scrutiny and calls to step down after Justice Department documents revealed flirty exchanges with Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein.
Wasserman said earlier this year that he “deeply” regretted the email exchanges, which he said took place decades ago before Maxwell’s crimes were publicly known.
The Summer Olympics will be held in Los Angeles from July 14 to July 30 next year. The games will feature more than 300 events, with the opening and closing ceremonies set to take place at the city’s Memorial Coliseum.
The Independent has contacted LA28 for comment.
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