{"id":172019,"date":"2025-09-27T04:59:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-27T04:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/172019\/"},"modified":"2025-09-27T04:59:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-27T04:59:12","slug":"what-really-happened-when-trump-appeared-at-the-ryder-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/172019\/","title":{"rendered":"What REALLY happened when Trump appeared at the Ryder Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t
\n\"Donald\t\t<\/a>
\n\"Donald<\/p>\n

Donald Trump’s appearance at the Ryder Cup caused chaos at Bethpage.<\/p>\n

\t\t\tTrump\u2019s arrival at the Ryder Cup threw Bethpage into turmoil. Behind the grandstands and around the first tee, fans, players, and Secret Service alike found themselves in a day of drama, delays, and unique spectacle.<\/p>\n

The President\u2019s decision to attend the 45th Ryder Cup had been well-publicised in the long build-up to this event. When the week finally arrived, the only topic that received more coverage was the PGA of America\u2019s controversial decision to pay Team USA players for the first time<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Throughout their press conferences, players and captains were pushed for their views on the prospect of the leader of the free world\u2019s presence on the opening day. To a man, they welcomed the prospect\u2026 even if it was abundantly clear some were simply avoiding becoming a headline. \u201cJust another spectator,\u201d chuckled Scotland\u2019s Bob MacIntyre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trump was originally scheduled to appear for the start of the day\u2019s play, but the PGA of America requested a later arrival to avoid the kind of disruption seen when he attended last month\u2019s US Open tennis at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n

While that move ensured things ran smoothly for Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald\u2019s teams, it proved anything but for the fans. The throngs of spectators, who\u2019d paid $750 for the right to attend the biennial clash, were left to battle through even heavier-than-usual Long Island traffic thanks to the vast security operation in place, and make their way through clashes between pro- and anti-Trump protesters.<\/p>\n

Once inside the gates, fans and media faced the heaviest security ever seen at a golf event. Heavily-armed Secret Service agents buzzed around (note: it\u2019s not a secret when it\u2019s stamped across your chest, guys) and the sight of a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty being scanned by a stern-looking agent was something to behold.<\/p>\n

\"Ryder<\/p>\n

Restrictions on what could be brought in were tightened (no umbrellas, rangefinders, vapes, foldable chairs, torches, and a whole lot more), and every object inspected within an inch of its life \u2013 just ask the woman who was made to unwrap her tampons \u2013 with multiple TSA-style checkpoints to clear. Sniffer dogs were hard at work as gun-wielding agents talked into their chests and earpieces crackled.<\/p>\n

Getting onto a flight would have been easier than it was to get into that towering 1st tee grandstand on Friday morning.<\/p>\n

Perhaps going through that process explains why the jingoistic, boisterous crowd we\u2019d been expecting were nowhere to be found when we\u2019d finally made our way through security.<\/p>\n

Instead, the atmosphere was stifled, pumping music giving the impression of excitement, only for eerie silence to take over when the DJ hit mute.<\/p>\n

With the opening day\u2019s foursomes underway, the President was pictured addressing media outside the White House, 264 miles southwest, as he prepared to board a helicopter to Air Force One for his journey to Bethpage. He was dressed smartly in a dark tailored suit\u2026 finished off with a pair of white FootJoy Premiere golf shoes, which was quite a look.<\/p>\n

Perhaps he\u2019d predicted the US side\u2019s miserable start in their bid to win this famous trophy back and was hoping Keegan Bradley would give him the late nod.<\/p>\n

Trump was likely watching the action on TV during his time in the air, but he might have wanted to change the channel. Europe\u2019s perfect start saw them go 3-0 up just moments after the President\u2019s aircraft flew over the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe team is not doing so well\u2026So when I heard that, I said \u2018Let\u2019s go on the plane we have to try and help them!\u2019\u201d Trump said upon landing.<\/p>\n

By that stage, Bradley was seemingly desperate for the President\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, we just had the President fly over in his Air Force One, so I\u2019ve got a feeling things are going to turn here,\u201d he replied when asked how his side could reverse their fortunes in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

As Trump made his way towards the course, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay produced a late surge to win the final match and get a much-needed point on the board for the US.<\/p>\n

Minutes after they\u2019d walked off the 18th green, the President arrived, making his way through the players\u2019 tunnel to a rapturous reception from a now beer-fueled crowd, not put off by $15 for a Michelob.<\/p>\n

Flanked by his granddaughter, Kai Madison (herself an excellent golfer), and security team, Trump greeted the crowd like a player, waving and pumping his fists before heading to front-row seats surrounded by what looked like a display cabinet \u2013 albeit a bulletproof one.<\/p>\n

\"Donald<\/p>\n

Agents swarmed among the packed grandstands as hordes of White House press photographers were given priority positions to capture Trump\u2019s every move. Spectators jostled for position, phones in hand as they tried to capture their own glimpses and images of the President.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Bradley and Donald arrived back on the tee, ready for the afternoon fourballs to begin. Donald and Donald greeted each other with a handshake and polite conversation before the US leaders embraced and shared a laugh.<\/p>\n

Trump returned to his safe space as the music blared, Bradley heading towards him and mimicking the President\u2019s famous dance-shuffle with a huge grin.<\/p>\n

As players made their way to the tee, Trump acknowledged each of them as they passed his vantage point. Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy gave him a big thumbs up, while others raised a hand or nodded.<\/p>\n

And then there was Bryson DeChambeau. As the big-hitting LIV star exited the tunnel, Trump left his protected zone to greet the man he appointed chair of the President\u2019s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition in July<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Donald<\/p>\n

As the players were announced on the tee, so was Trump, greeting more cheers from the MAGA brigade, and he remained within a decent two-putt length as DeChambeau, Griffin, Rose, and Fleetwood hit the opening shots of their afternoons.<\/p>\n

Once the final group of Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns got their rounds underway, the President was gone. He\u2019d seen 16 tee shots and been on site for less than two hours.<\/p>\n

But did his visit have the effect Bradley was so desperately hoping for? Not really. Team USA lost the afternoon session 2.5\u20131.5 for a 5.5\u20132.5 deficit after the first day\u2019s play \u2013 and history is not on their side<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At the end of the first day, it\u2019s clear which Donald will be the happier of the two \u2013 and it\u2019s not the one in the dodgy suit-and-golf-shoes combo.<\/p>\n

\t\tAbout the author<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Rob
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Digital Editor. Tour golf nerd. World No.1 at three-putting.<\/p>\n

Rob Jerram is the Digital Editor of\u00a0todays-golfer.com and has been a journalist for more than a quarter of a century, joining TG in 2010.<\/p>\n

He specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, and has traveled the world watching the biggest tournaments and interviewing the game’s biggest stars.<\/p>\n

Rob is also passionate about equipment and is a font of knowledge when it comes to golf balls, golf trolleys, and golf shoes, having tested thousands over the years.<\/p>\n

Despite being father to three daughters, he still manages to find time to maintain a 10-handicap, playing regularly at Greetham Valley GC, Spalding GC, and Thorpe Wood, all in the east of England.<\/p>\n

The best piece of golf equipment he’s ever owned is the TaylorMade SLDR driver, his favourite player is Tommy Fleetwood, and the best course he’s played is Turnberry’s Ailsa.<\/p>\n

You can get in touch with Rob by emailing rob.jerram@bauermedia.co.uk<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Donald Trump’s appearance at the Ryder Cup caused chaos at Bethpage. Trump\u2019s arrival at the Ryder Cup threw…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":172020,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-172019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/172020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}