PGA Tour Backs Trump's Sunshine Protection Act, Claiming $1 Billion Yearly Windfall for Golf

The PGA Tour has thrown its weight behind President Donald Trump's push for permanent daylight saving time, arguing an extra hour of evening light would be a game-changer for the golf industry.

Tour CEO Brian Rolapp wrote to the president on October 1, days after Trump attended the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club, to put in writing "the Tour's strong support for the Sunshine Protection Act." Trump published the letter on Truth Social over the weekend as part of a campaign to move the bipartisan bill through the U.S. Senate, where it is currently stalled.

The Sunshine Protection Act would eliminate clock changes twice a year and keep the nation on summer time permanently. Rolapp's pitch focused on everyday golfers: "Most golfers do not play full-time and fit the game into the margins of a busy life... That window is already tight, but when the clocks fall back, it closes entirely. An extra hour of evening light sounds simple, but for everyday Americans, it can be the difference between getting on the course and not."

Citing National Golf Course Owners Association estimates, Rolapp said permanent daylight saving time would produce 23 million additional rounds per year and $1 billion annually in new direct revenue for the golf industry — roughly $250,000 per facility. The bill cleared the House with a 308-117 vote in July and now awaits Senate action, where Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton has blocked it, prompting Trump to urge Arkansas voters to "lock the clock" and pressure their senator.