Trump puts blame on PGA Tour for LIV Golf split

Former United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the PGA Tour "blew a great opportunity" by not making a deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.

Trump is hosting LIV's season-ending team championship at his Trump National course near Miami, starting on Friday, and praised the breakaway circuit and their Saudi backers.

"I think the [PGA] Tour really blew a great opportunity and now they are in a much more difficult position," Trump told reporters after playing 18 holes in the Pro Am competition.

"It's big time, it's big time money, unlimited money, they love golf, they actually love golf and the Saudis have done a fantastic job," Trump said.

"The enthusiasm, you hear the music, you hear a lot of things, it's different and so we are having a good time," he said.

Asked whether he thought LIV represented the future of golf though Trump was more cautious but placed the blame for the split firmly on the established PGA Tour's leadership.

"I don't know, I think that ultimately maybe something gets worked out but the Tour mishandled it so badly, the people at the top, something should happen with them, they mishandled it so badly," he said.

"They had, not only an advantage, they are dealing with very good people with unlimited money, they are good people with unlimited money. Something could have been worked out very easily and the Tour decided to go, as Richard Nixon said, to stonewall it, that didn't work out too well for them," he added.

LIV, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's $620 billion public investment fund, has invested unprecedented millions in the sport with this week's event at Doral boasting a record purse of $50 million.

Critics of LIV Golf say the venture is an example of "sportswashing", designed to