FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — If two things have long held President Donald Trump’s attention, it’s New York and golf. This week, both are in the spotlight. So where else would he be on Friday?
Continuing a string of high-profile appearances at major sporting events, Trump is scheduled to attend Friday’s opening day of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the course hosting the showdown between teams from the United States and Europe.
While no official arrival time has been made public, multiple sources briefed on the PGA of America’s logistical plans confirmed to The Athletic that Trump is expected to arrive between 11:30 a.m. ET and noon, just before the day’s second session of matches begins at 12:25 p.m. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of the heightened security around Trump’s visit.
Though Trump is arriving midway through Friday’s activities, his appearance will create a daylong stress test for the event held at one of five public courses at Bethpage State Park on Long Island.
“I hope he’ll inspire us to victory. I think he’ll be a great force for us to get a lot of people on our side,” said Bryson DeChambeau, who is playing for the U.S. team but was also appointed by Trump last month to be chair of a council on sports and fitness. “It’s going to be an electric environment,” he added.
More than 50,000 fans are expected at Bethpage Black, arriving by all means of transportation for an event most known for iconic opening tee shots against a rising sun with packed grandstands.
Gates will open at 5 a.m. Friday, with the PGA cautioning fans to anticipate “enhanced security measures and additional restrictions.” All attendees in the massive grandstand surrounding the first tee and the 18th green, as well as in the clubhouse, will be “subjected to TSA-style screening points.”
“Ticketed attendees are strongly urged to arrive as early as possible,” the PGA announced in a statement on Wednesday, “and should budget extra time as they plan their day.”
The PGA added: “Guests should expect temporary delays moving around publicly accessible areas inside and outside of the Bethpage Black Golf Course. These areas may briefly become restricted or frozen spaces before, during, or after the event.”
On Thursday, new fencing was being erected on the sprawling property. Overnight, the area is scheduled to be swept by the Secret Service, after which the areas around the clubhouse and first tee will be treated as “bubbles” with intense security measures in place, the sources said.
Some items typically allowed at major golf events will, in this instance, not be permitted on Friday in the first tee grandstand or clubhouse area of the golf course, including portable folding chairs, insulated beverage containers, large umbrellas, and rangefinders.
It’s unclear if President Trump will stay in a suite, like he did at a recent Yankees game, or roam the golf course. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
Three weeks ago, Trump’s visit to the U.S. Open men’s tennis final led organizers to delay the start of the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner by 30 minutes as standstill lines filled the plaza outside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Many fans arrived at their seats more than an hour after the start of the match.
On Friday, once onsite at Bethpage, Trump will be squarely in the middle of a spectacle. The 45th Ryder Cup is expected to be a partisan affair, one in his favor. During Wednesday’s opening ceremony, team captains Keegan Bradley (USA) and Luke Donald (Europe) each acknowledged Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a Democrat, generating heavy boos from several thousand fans.
It remains unclear how Trump intends to view the competition. Whereas the president and his entourage could occupy a secure, luxury suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium and at Yankee Stadium for a recent Sept. 11 remembrance, golf is a mobile game played across a few hundred acres. Organizers are expecting him to view the start of the afternoon’s four matches from a seat in the first row of the grandstand.
It’s unknown where Trump plans to watch play after the first afternoon tee shots and how long he expects to remain on site.
A White House spokesperson did not offer any details when contacted for specifics of Trump’s plans, citing security concerns.
Justin Rose, a European making his seventh Ryder Cup appearance, told reporters Wednesday that “by all accounts” the president will not “necessarily be on the tee box with us or roaming the course.”
That doesn’t mean his presence won’t be felt. Trump’s ties to professional golf are long and layered. Everything from hosting PGA Tour and LIV Golf events at his various resorts, to playing casual rounds with the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, to appearing on DeChambeau’s YouTube channel, to landing, and subsequently losing, hosting duties for the 2022 PGA Championship. That major championship, moved from Trump Bedminster to Southern Hills following the events of Jan. 6, 2021, is run by the same organization responsible for the Ryder Cup — the PGA of America.
Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and American headliner, said this week that Trump occasionally reaches out by call or text message after tournament wins.
“I don’t think he has any plans to address us as a team,” Scheffler said, “but I’m sure if things go well, we’ll hear from him this week.”
Bradley, the American captain, said he is “definitely not” concerned about Trump being a distraction to his team or the event.
“Anytime you can be around a current president is a pretty phenomenal thing,” Bradley said, “but when you’re representing your country at a place like Bethpage Black in New York, 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.”
In June, Trump took to the field for the Club World Cup awards ceremony at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, presenting the cup and individual medals to Premier League team Chelsea. He is not expected to appear on Sunday at Bethpage for the presentation of the Ryder Cup.
(Top photo of President Trump: Andy Buchanan / AFP via Getty Images)
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