US President Donald Trump will attend the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black but is now delaying his arrival at the course after generating controversy at previous sporting events
07:00, 26 Sep 2025Updated 07:12, 26 Sep 2025
Donald Trump will be in attendance at the Ryder Cup(Image: 2025 Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump will postpone his arrival at Bethpage Black for the Ryder Cup, though his attendance at the tournament could still rack up costs exceeding £12million. Trump has already made high-profile appearances at FIFA’s Club World Cup during the summer, where he handed over the trophy to Chelsea, as well as at the US Open in New York.
Trump’s anticipated visit to Long Island had sparked concerns following his attendance at the Flushing Meadows final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which pushed back the match by 37 minutes.
This delay resulted from additional security checks for spectators, creating lengthy queues outside the main show court. Despite the hold-up, numerous fans still missed the opening of the final.
They subsequently vented their anger at Trump by jeering him when he appeared on the stadium’s giant screens. The opening foursomes match at the Ryder Cup is set to commence at 7:10am ET (12:10pm BST) on Friday.
Nevertheless, Trump now looks likely to turn up for the afternoon session, with four fourball matches scheduled to start from 12:25pm ET (5:25pm BST).
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PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague extended an invitation to Trump “a number of weeks ago” and now the eye-watering expense of the operation is emerging, with it potentially representing the largest bill in the sport’s history.
No official sum has been announced. However, figures from other sporting occasions that Trump has graced provide an indication of what the US taxpayer might be forced to shell out.
According to Golf365, Trump’s passion for the golf course has reportedly landed US taxpayers with a bill exceeding £53m since his return to the Oval Office at the start of the year.
Donald Trump’s visits to sporting events have proven chaotic for others attending(Image: Getty Images)
A personal trip to one of his Scottish golf resorts set back local police forces £3.2m, with £1.6m allocated for overtime payments.
His appearance at Super Bowl LIX earlier this year racked up £14.8m in costs, whilst his quick visit to the US Open was rumoured to reach approximately £6m.
Given that Air Force One operates at roughly £200,000 per hour, Trump’s decision to attend the tournament could spiral to £12m, factoring in Secret Service protection, local policing, security arrangements and accommodation expenses.
European skipper Luke Donald has tactfully suggested Trump’s presence benefits the competition. “I think that you have to respect the Office and the fact that he wants to come and show support is a good thing. He loves golf is all I’m going to say.”
Keegan Bradley, Captain of Team United States and Luke Donald, Captain of Team Europe speak in a press conference(Image: Getty Images)
US captain Keegan Bradley expressed his enthusiasm about the President’s upcoming visit. “I think this is going to be a sporting event to remember across any sport,” he said.
“Then you add on the president of the United States standing there, I really think it’s going to be something that everyone will remember forever.”
Meanwhile, world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler confirmed that Trump wasn’t scheduled to address Bradley’s squad ahead of the Ryder Cup kick-off, but offered praise for the commander-in-chief.
He said: “The president is kind of funny. He loves the game of golf. He loves supporting golfers, and I get a call or a text from him sometimes after wins.
“He just loves the game of golf, and he’s one of those guys when you’re around him, he does such a good job of, like, feeding confidence into everybody around him. I don’t think he has any plans to address us as a team, but I’m sure if things go well, we’ll hear from him this week.”
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