Rory McIlroy is competing at the Irish Open this week and has been asked about the possibility of the tournament being held at a golf course owned by US President Donald TrumpSam Frost Senior sports reporter and Chris Burns Senior Sports Writer
08:43, 05 Sep 2025
Rory McIlroy has made his feelings clear on playing at one of US President’s courses(Image: YouTube/Ryder Cup)
Golfing icon Rory McIlroy has made it clear he wouldn’t object to playing in next year’s Irish Open if it takes place at one of Donald Trump’s golf courses.
The reigning Masters champion is currently participating in his home open this week, kicking off with a one-under-par round at The K Club near Dublin on Thursday. Speculation is rife that next year’s tournament will be staged at Trump International Doonbeg on Ireland’s west coast, while another of his courses has already been confirmed as making a comeback to the PGA Tour schedule.
Trump’s contentious political stance has impacted his collection of golf courses’ ability to host premier tournaments since he first assumed office in 2017. Event organisers are concerned that the President’s involvement could overshadow the tournaments.
Turnberry, the gem in Trump’s golf course portfolio, hasn’t hosted The Open Championship since he acquired it for £44.5million in 2014. However, it appears that the position of golf’s decision-makers is starting to soften.
Last month, Trump International Aberdeen was the venue for a DP World Tour event, and the President’s Doral resort is set to host a PGA Tour tournament in 2026, reports the Mirror US.
A distinctive four-on-four made-for-TV tournament featuring McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will be held at Trump International Jupiter in December. During his pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, McIlroy made clear that he would have no issue competing if the DP World Tour opts to bring the Irish Open to Doonbeg.
Doonbeg is set to host the Irish Open in 2026(Image: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
“I’ve never played Doonbeg,” McIlroy said. “I might have gone there for dinner once while I was down playing Lahinch at some point. But no, I mean, I’ve obviously heard the rumours.
“I’m not sure if it’s confirmed or not, or when the schedule comes out, but if it were to go there, I’d have no problem. You know, the Scottish Championship was played at a Trump property near Aberdeen there a few weeks ago and looked like it was a great event.
“We’re going back to Doral next year on the PGA Tour. So if it’s back on a links course, I’m not sure how Doonbeg stacks up in terms of other links courses in the country, but I’d be absolutely happy to go there and play.”
Donald Trump has seen his courses become the host of major events again(Image: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)
McIlroy had been poised to finish amongst the early leaders following a strong start on Thursday, but a pair of dropped shots late in his round saw him tumble down the leaderboard.
“I felt like I played better than what the score reflects,” the Northern Irishman said. “Felt like I hit the ball well, drove the ball well; you know, just had that disappointing finish, bogeying two of the last three holes.
“But actually pretty encouraged how I played. Just didn’t score as well as I wanted to. The game feels pretty good. Off the tee was good.
“It was sort of a continuation of what I saw at East Lake a couple of weeks ago. Just a matter of being more efficient with the scoring.”
