Donald Trump’s love for golf is well known, as he owns several high-end courses around the world and often is seen teeing it up during his down time.
But a recent claim by the U.S. president that this week’s Ryder Cup in New York wouldn’t be happening without him has rubbed some golf fans the wrong way.
The biennial event — which pits teams of the top golfers from the U.S. and Europe against other — will be taking place at Bethpage Black on Long Island starting on Thursday.
According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, however, it’s only still set to take place because of an executive order preventing a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike, which was signed by Trump.
The order reportedly establishes an emergency board to review the dispute between the LIRR and the employees’ unions.
“This event is one of the greatest sporting events in the world and it would not be taking place this year without President Trump’s help,” Leavitt told a press conference on Monday.
“President Trump signed an executive order last week preventing a strike that would have crippled the New York City area ahead of the tournament and at the request of the five labour unions who all represent workers on the Long Island Rail Road.”
While a strike by LIRR employees would’ve been problematic for the event, it would not have prompted a cancellation – something quickly pointed out by golf fans on social media.
“It would still be taking place,” one user bluntly put it on X.
“He’s being very modest. Because at the very same moment when he was saving the Ryder Cup, he ended two wars and drug prices dropped by 1100%. Amazing,” another user sarcastically commented.
“Unless Trump either invented golf or was Samuel Ryder in a prior life, the biennial event alternating between EU and US has ZERO to do with the peacemaker that ended the ‘Cambodia-Armenia War,’” a third user wrote taking a jab at a recent Trump slip of the tongue.
At least one golfer at the event, though, was happy with Trump’s efforts to “protect” the Ryder Cup.
During her press conference, Leavitt had quoted Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. team.
“When the possibility of a strike threatened to disrupt transportation and attendance, President Trump stepped in and took the action needed to protect this world-class competition,” DeChambeau said.
“Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, the Ryder Cup experience will be everything fans and the golf community deserve.”
Trump is scheduled to make an appearance on Friday at Bethpage Black.