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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The U.S. Ryder Cup team is excited to play in front of President Donald Trump on Friday, as the commander-in-chief’s plans to attend the opening round at Bethpage Black Golf Course crystallize.
“I’m deeply honored that the president of the United States is going to come support our team at the Ryder Cup,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said Tuesday, pushing back on concerns about Trump’s attendance being a distraction.
Trump is reportedly planning on arriving at the Ryder Cup in the late morning on Friday, and watch the afternoon sessions begin on the first tee, according to The Telegraph, in an effort to prevent security delays for fans (like his presence caused at the US Open) before the opening sessions tee off at 7:10 a.m. ET.
“We actually won’t be able to delay the tee times because we don’t have the evening,” Ryder Cup director Bryan Karns told Front Office Sports last week. “At Arthur Ashe Stadium, you can flip those lights on, you can go late. Whereas we don’t have that luxury of doing that.”
Presidential Treatment
Bradley said he doesn’t have any plans for Trump to speak with the U.S. team before the Ryder Cup begins, but added, “Having the president there to support you is something that is just absolutely incredible. I’m really grateful to him for doing that for us.”
Patrick Cantlay said Trump’s attendance “should be great,” and Scottie Scheffler signed off on Trump’s visit, too. “To have the president here, it’s been a tough few weeks for our country with some of the stuff that’s been going on, and to have our president here and for us to represent the United States of America, albeit being in a golf tournament, is extremely important for us,” Scheffler said. “And we’re excited to be on home soil with the home crowd, and we’re ready to get this tournament started.”
Even Europe’s captain, Luke Donald, is aware of the gravity of the situation. “Anytime a sitting president wants to come to an event, it just shows how big the Ryder Cup is,” Donald said. “You’ve got to see that as a mark of respect. President Trump is obviously a big supporter of golf, and he knows a lot of the players this week and has met them before. I think you see it as that, as a mark of respect, that a sitting president wants to support an event when he has a very busy schedule. To find time for that shows something.”
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