Georgia Gov. Kemp cheers Augusta National for ‘not getting involved in politics’

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp praised the Augusta National Golf Club for not caving to the political pressures which have befallen the state just lately.

“I personally applaud the Masters for not getting involved in politics,” Kemp instructed CNBC’s Seema Mody in an interview that aired Friday, noting there are “growing calls by activists that are trying to pressure people” in sports activities.

Kemp’s feedback got here as Augusta National hosted this yr’s Masters golf match, which began on Thursday. The occasion passed off after the Republican governor signed final month an election bill that critics say disproportionately disenfranchises voters of color.

Major League Baseball introduced on April 2 it pulled its 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of the invoice’s signing. Kemp blasted the league’s choice on “The News with Shepard Smith.”

“I don’t appreciate the position they’ve taken,” Kemp mentioned. “They could simply stand up and have some backbone until the activists that are putting money in their pockets, while hard work and Georgians are getting hurt by the decision of Major League Baseball.”

MLB didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for remark.

Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley mentioned Wednesday that the proper to vote is key to a democratic society. However, Ridley avoided saying whether or not he helps or opposes Georgia’s new regulation.

Decisions by main sports activities entities like these from MLB and Augusta National even have large financial implications.

“Anytime thousands and hundreds of thousands of people swarm into the city, that certainly trickles itself down into our tiny little neighborhood, and then we see the economic benefits of that,” Alphonzo Cross, proprietor of Parlor Cocktail Den in Atlanta, instructed CNBC. He additionally mentioned he is making an attempt to determine easy methods to make up for the misplaced enterprise from the All-Star Game. 

Some economists estimate town’s losses from shedding the All-Star Game may reach around $10 million.

In Augusta — 150 miles east of Atlanta — companies have a way more optimistic outlook. Augusta officers count on the golf match to convey in no less than $50 million. Heather Chancey, proprietor of the Mexican grill Cantina Locale, instructed CNBC that her enterprise has seen a rise this week “probably to the tune of 60 to 75%.”