President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social on Sunday that he will attend the Presidents Cup, scheduled Sept. 22 to 27 at Medinah County Club in Medinah.
The Presidents Cup features a team representing the United States versus an international team, composed of the rest of the world minus Europe, whose golfers compete against America in the Ryder Cup.
Trump did not announce which day he will attend the tournament. The president said he will attend “at the request of the PGA Tour” and new Commissioner Brian Rolapp. Rolapp currently is CEO of the PGA Tour and is taking over the role of commissioner on Jan. 1, 2027.
“It is my Honor to accept being the Honorary Chairman of the upcoming Presidents Cup,” Trump posted. “This will be a particularly exciting event. Both teams are loaded with talent. I look forward to being there, and greeting all of these fantastic athletes, on both teams!”
Trump attended the Ryder Cup tournament last year at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York. His attendance created a noticeable partisan buzz during the tournament in which several unruly fans’ behavior were denounced by the European team.
Team Europe, led by Northern Irish golf phenom Rory McIlroy, defeated the American team. The European victory was the first time in 13 years one of the teams won while playing away. That victory was also by the European team and took place at Medinah County Club in 2012.
The large comeback on the final match day has become known affectionately by Europeans as the “Miracle at Medinah,” and by American golfers as the “Meltdown at Medinah.”
American golf fans will be hoping for a little redemption during the Presidents Cup, albeit against different competition.
It is traditional for the head of the host country of the Presidents Cup to serve as the tournament’s honorary chairman. The last tournament took place at Royal Montreal in Canada with then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau taking part in the tournament.
In addition to the 2012 Ryder Cup, the historic Medinah Country Club has hosted the 2006 and the 1999 PGA Championships, both won by Tiger Woods. It also has hosted three U.S. Opens and the 2019 BMW Championship.
The upcoming Presidents Cup will be the debut of the redesigned championship Course No. 3, which features rolling hills, long prairie grasses and picturesque shots over Lake Kadijah. The country club was established in 1924 by the Medinah Shriners, from which the town and the golf course are named.
“The Presidents Cup has a proud tradition of engaging world leaders from across the globe and across political lines, and President Trump’s involvement continues that legacy,” Rolapp said in a PGA news release. “His participation will help elevate the event on the international stage while furthering our mission of bringing people together through the game of golf.”
Trump previously served as the honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup in 2017 when the tournament was hosted at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. Team USA beat the International Team 19-11 in that tournament. The tournament tends to be easier competition for Team USA compared with facing Team Europe during the Ryder Cup.