The PGA Tour is returning to Trump National Doral this week for what will be the inaugural playing of the Cadillac Championship. While at this point it's unclear if President Donald Trump will be making an appearance at the signature event, his presence will not only be felt, it will be unavoidable.
Amid the final touches and upgrades being made to the Doral property ahead of Thursday's opening round, a statue was erected on the grounds. And it wasn't just any statue, but one of President Trump throwing his fist in the air following the July 2024 assassination attempt on his life in Pennsylvania.
And yes, it's gold.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
A golden statue of the sitting president being installed to more or less overlook the golf course, as it plays host to a $20 million purse, signature event on the PGA Tour, is already unique.
However, the details and story surrounding the statue itself take things to another level of bonkers.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, a Zanesville, Ohio, sculptor by the name of Alan Cottrill was commissioned for the project in August 2024, the month following the assassination attempt on the president.
$PATRIOT, a cryptocurrency group, commissioned the work to be done, and that is where, allegedly, things get a bit dicey.
According to the report, Cottrill was paid $300,000 for the 15-foot bronze statue itself and another $60,000 for the gold leafing. The project got held up after Cottrill accused the crypto group of copyright infringement after it used the likeness of the artwork to sell crypto tokens.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Cottrill held the statue in an unknown location in Muskingum County, east of Columbus, until full payment was received and an agreement was reached. All parties came to terms last week, and Cottrill drove the Trump statue from Ohio to Miami on a flatbed trailer before he installed it on a pedestal overlooking the resort's multiple golf courses.
So, not only is there a large golden statue of President Trump overlooking a golf course set to host a PGA Tour event, but one that was being hidden from the public due to alleged copyright infringement involving a crypto company.
We're not even close to the halfway point of 2026, but it has already been quite the year.
It's a safe assumption that the new statue will still be in place at Doral in December for the G-20 Summit, where leaders from around the world will get a glimpse at the golden work amid discussions about the economy and the climate.
