Donald Trump is set to make an appearance at the Ryder Cup on Friday morning, much to the relief of event organisers. The 45th and 47th US President, a known golf enthusiast, is confirmed to attend the opening day of the Ryder Cup but will avoid arriving for the first tee time, according to the Daily Mail. This decision likely prevents chaos with thousands of spectators descending on Bethpage all at once.
This comes after Trump’s attendance at the US Open caused uproar. Increased security measures resulted in delayed entry, leaving thousands of supporters queuing to enter Arthur Ashe well beyond the scheduled start time. Meanwhile, Trump has suggested that the Ryder Cup could have been postponed without his intervention.
As a result, the championship match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz was delayed by over 30 minutes.
Trump, a guest in the Rolex suite, received a mixed reaction from the crowd inside the venue. At one point, he seemed to have fallen asleep.
It remains uncertain how Trump will be safeguarded at the Ryder Cup. With Bethpage covering 1,500 acres and featuring five golf courses, the vast open space will likely pose a significant challenge for the Secret Service.
Event organisers won’t have the option to delay the tee times at the Ryder Cup, as daylight is a crucial factor. The sun currently sets before 7pm in New York.
Bryan Karns, the director of the Ryder Cup, had previously stressed that they wouldn’t be able to delay the tee times due to lack of evening light.
“We actually won’t be able to delay the tee times because we don’t have the evening,” he explained. “At Arthur Ashe Stadium, you can flip the lights on and go late. We don’t have that luxury. We need to finish both sessions in daylight so fans get the full experience.”
Regarding Trump’s visit, he added, “It’s really just a collaboration with the secret service to figure out the safest way to get the President on site, and to allow him to be able to participate and enjoy and be a part of what we’re doing, but at the same time, not disrupt the general flow.
“We don’t want anything to happen that would obstruct the hallmark of the Ryder Cup-the first tee or some of these grandstands that we expect and would plan to be full.”
In a surprising turn of events, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on Monday that the Ryder Cup wouldn’t be happening at all without Trump.
“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,” she asserted.
“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 railroad.”
This article first appeared on Mirror US.
