Georgia Governor Brian Kemp praised the Augusta National Golf Club for not giving in to the political pressure that has befallen the state recently.
“I personally applaud the Masters for not getting involved in politics,” Kemp told CNBC’s Seema Mody in an interview aired Friday, noting that there are “more and more calls from activists trying to pressure people. in sports.
Kemp’s comments came when Augusta National hosted this year’s Masters golf tournament, which kicked off on Thursday. The event took place after the Republican governor signed an election bill last month that critics say disproportionately deprives voters of color.
Major League Baseball announced on April 2 that it had withdrawn its 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of the bill’s signing. Kemp overturned the competition’s decision in “The News with Shepard Smith.”
“I don’t appreciate the position they have taken,” said Kemp. “They can just stand up and have a backbone to the activists putting money in their pockets, while hard work and Georgians hurt by Major League Baseball’s decision.”
MLB did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley said on Wednesday that the right to vote is fundamental to a democratic society. However, Ridley did not say whether or not he supports Georgia’s new law.
Decisions made by major sports entities such as those of MLB and Augusta National also have huge economic ramifications.
“Every time thousands upon hundreds of thousands of people swarm into the city, it sure trickles down into our little neighborhood, and then we see the economic benefits of that,” Alphonzo Cross, owner of Parlor Cocktail Den in Atlanta, told CNBC. He also said he’s trying to figure out how to make up for the All-Star Game’s lost cause.
Some economists estimate that the city’s losses from losing the All-Star Game could be about $ 10 million.
In Augusta – 150 miles east of Atlanta – businesses have a much more positive outlook. Augusta officials expect the golf tournament to bring in at least $ 50 million. Heather Chancey, owner of Mexican grill Cantina Locale, told CNBC that her business has seen an increase this week “probably by 60 to 75%.”