NEW YORK — New York woke Monday to more Donald Trump brain farts, tariff notices hitting random targets, propagandist slurs against a leftist candidate in the New York mayoral race. All of it blasted across his social media accounts and amplified by broadcasters.
It was like the Ryder Cup all over again, another day dealing with a noisy, vain, boorish, buffoon perverting the space we all share. The European players were so drained by the Bethpage immersion they had little left to give on the final day, the emotional energy spent standing up to the recidivist dolts on Friday and Saturday contributed as much to the American fightback as the quality of the opposing players.
Trump’s appearance at the event on the opening day of competition, a preposterous imposition, forcing upon the organisers and the spectators maximum disruption for nil reward, symbolised the shouty, hostile vulgarity of Maga-land that came to dominate the event. It didn’t do much for the American team, either, not that they needed much encouragement to cow-tow to their leader.
The American post-mortem paid due attention to the awful circumstances the European players faced, particularly Rory McIlroy, who grew in the estimation of all across the three days. The irony in all of this is the respect McIlroy has for his adopted country and how much his abusers actually like him. Thus was McIlroy two things at Bethpage Black, the most popular golfer amongst American fans and the most hated.
The dislike is essentially cartoon in nature, defined by the sporting context, but it nevertheless warps into something sinister and threatening under the influence of alcohol, particularly for McIlroy’s wife Erica and the women in the European party. The beer can incident was the weekend’s pivotal moment, striking at the interface of Trumpism and civility. It was aimed at McIlroy but hit his wife, a spectator.
Neither deserved to be targeted, of course, but Erica being hit was the point at which everything changed. Golf is a safe space, a bastion of dignity, manners and respect. That a woman might be a victim of violence in the heart of civilised America felt truly shocking. It was ugly, dangerous and genuinely disturbing.
Trump is the enabler of all of this, an offensive, selfish bigot who cares nothing for the opposing view and appears to delight in trashing the virtues cherished by the founding fathers and that define America. His presence on Friday gave the worst of America permission to indulge their prejudices, to target the European “enemy”, to bait and abuse the golfers and their wives for their own amusement.
What was fun for them, was utterly unnerving for the victims. McIlroy was at the centre of it, but by association his teammates were drawn naturally to his defence, particularly his playing partners Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry.
Getting through Saturday drained every ounce of energy they had left. Processing the experience left all his teammates significantly depleted on Sunday.
And all this was directed at the husband of an American wife, the father of an American daughter, and an enthusiastic advocate for the American way of life.
“I am unbelievably grateful and lucky that I got to come to America early on,” McIlroy said on the eve of the tournament.
“I think success is celebrated here. I think there’s a wonderful sense of work ethic. I have a lot of affinity towards this country, and I think everyone that lives here should have that same affinity because it is, it’s a wonderful place.”
The America McIlroy recognises and which I experienced is not Trump’s America, his people are not Trump’s people.
So many in America are embarrassed by their representative in the highest office of state. How he got there is a question right-thinking Americans wonder at every day. The answer is complex and to be found in the divisions he creates, spreading hate and false claims that land where uncritical thought is rife, in communities where educational attainment is poor and undervalued.
It suits Trump to keep it that way, but the majority at Bethpage Black showed what they felt about that in the way they recoiled, in their condemnation of the mob and the sympathy they showed for McIlroy and the European team.
In the post-match calm, McIlroy responded as he always does, with maturity and wisdom, saying Europe will take care to ensure there is no repeat for visitors to Adare Manor at the Ryder Cup in 2027. And his teammate Lowry added: “It will be a little bit nicer than playing here, I know that.”