Trump was invited to the event by the PGA of America, the governing body of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
FARMINGDALE, NY — Donald Trump arriving at a golf course on the weekend during his presidency is not unusual.
Trump spending time at a course and not playing … that is rare.
The president will make an appearance at Bethpage Black Sept. 26, the opening day of the Ryder Cup, but he is not expected to arrive until the afternoon, according to reports.
Trump was invited to the event by the PGA of America, the governing body of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, but it was not clear early on if he would show up for the opening foursomes session, which starts at 7:10 a.m.
The issue was heightened when Trump attended the U.S. Open men's single final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Sept. 7 at Arthur Ashe Stadium and chaos ensued.
With strict security measures in place for the biggest tennis event in this country, the match was delayed by about 40 minutes and there were several thousand empty seats when play started with thousands of fans still in line to enter the stadium.
With the Ryder Cup expected to draw at least 50,000 per day, more than twice the crowd for the Alcaraz-Sinner final, and the first tee shot being hit so early, reports are that Trump will delay his arrival until the afternoon.
Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald appreciate Donald Trump's passion for golf
Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley of the U.S. and Europe's Luke Donald were asked about the president attending the Ryder Cup.
Bradley said he was "deeply honored" by Trump's support.
"I think anytime you can be around a current president is a pretty phenomenal thing, but when you're representing your country at a place like Bethpage Black in New York, having the president there to support you is something that is just absolutely incredible," Bradley said. "I'm really grateful to him for doing that for us."
Before Bradley chose the final six players for his team, Trump endorsed the Jupiter resident picking himself. Bradley, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, selected Sam Burns instead.
"That was really surreal," Bradley said the day he made his captain's picks. "I’ve been really blown away with the support … I really appreciate it, Mr. President. I hope you’re not disappointed."
Bradley said five days before the start of the event although he still thinks about what it would be like preparing to play in the Ryder Cup, he knows he made the decision that was best for the team.
European captain Luke Donald of Jupiter referenced Trump's love for golf when asked about the president attending the Ryder Cup.
"Anytime a sitting president wants to come to an event, it just shows how big the Ryder Cup is," Donald said. "President Trump is obviously a big supporter of golf and he knows a lot of the players this week and has met them before.
"You got to see it as a mark of respect that a sitting president wants to support an event when he has a very busy schedule. To find time for that shows something."
Trump has a passion for all sports. Since taking office on Jan. 20, he has attended the college football national championship game, Super Bowl, Daytona 500, a UFC event and the tennis U.S. Open.
But golf is his favorite. According to the Trump golf tracker, he has played 60 times since returning to office, about 25% of his presidency. He had dinner with members of the LIV Golf tour before their event at his course in Doral and he met twice with leaders of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf attempting to bring the rival tours together. The leagues, though, remain as far apart as ever.
"It's great for golf that he's engaged in the game and obviously he brings a lot of eyeballs with him," said Justin Rose, a member of the European Ryder Cup team who was part of the PGA Tour delegation that met with Trump in the White House in February.
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Report: Donald Trump will arrive for Ryder Cup opening day in the afternoon
Category: General Sports
