Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp praised Augusta National Golf Club for failing to succumb to political pressures that have recently been hit by the state.
“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 “growing calls from activists trying to pressure people.” in sports.
Kemp’s comments came when Augusta National hosted this year’s Masters Golf Tournament, which began Thursday. The event came after the Republican governor signed an election bill last month that critics disproportionately disallow black voters.
Major League Baseball announced on April 2 that it has withdrawn its 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta in protest of the signing of the bill. Kemp blasted the league’s decision on “The News with Shepard Smith.”
“I don’t appreciate the position they’ve taken,” Kemp said. “They could just stand up and have a backbone until the activists put money in their pockets, while hard work and Georgians are hurt by the Major League Baseball decision.”
MLB did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Fred Ridley, president of the Augusta National Golf Club, said Wednesday that the right to vote is fundamental to a democratic society. Still, Ridley refrained from saying whether he supports or opposes Georgia’s new law.
The decisions of major sports entities such as MLB and Augusta National also have massive economic implications.
“Whenever thousands and hundreds of thousands of people move into the city, this certainly goes to school in our little neighborhood and then we see the economic benefits,” 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 business.
Some economists estimate that the city’s losses from the loss of the All-Star Game could reach $ 10 million.
In Augusta, 150 miles east of Atlanta, businesses have a much more positive outlook. Augusta officials expect the golf tournament to provide at least $ 50 million. Heather Chancey, owner of Mexican grill Cantina Locale, told CNBC that her business has seen an increase this week “probably up to 60-75%.”