President Donald Trump says he will attend the opening day of the Ryder Cup next month on Long Island, New York – the latest major sporting event the president is carving out time in his schedule to attend.
Trump, a well-known avid golfer, said on Truth Social that he plans to attend the first day of the tournament, on September 26, at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale.
“At the invite of the PGA Tour, I will be there on Tournament Friday!!!” Trump wrote.
The PGA Tour does not operate the Ryder Cup; the PGA of America, which is a separate organization, owns and operates it.
It’s unsurprising that Trump is attending the Ryder Cup, a three-day match between the U.S. and Europe. The president is passionate about golf and attended the LIV Golf tournament, which was hosted at Trump National Doral Club in April.
Aside from tournaments, Trump has spent a considerable amount of time golfing on the weekends. An online tracker keeping tally of the number of days Trump has golfed estimates the president has golfed 55 out of the 221 days he’s been in office.
Trump also enjoys attending other sporting events; he’s made appearances at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, the NCAA wrestling championships, the FIFA World Cup, and two UFC fights.
Often, the president makes a show out of attending – teasing it online and occasionally joining winners on stage. Earlier this month, the president appeared to pocket a FIFA Club World Cup medal after the president of FIFA gave it to him to look at.
Already the most raucous event in golf, this Ryder Cup has more anticipation than usual because the venue is a public course with a reputation for having the rowdiest fans.
In his post, Trump added that he wanted Keegan Bradley, the Team USA captain, to also play on the American Ryder Cup Team.
“Keegan Bradley should DEFINITELY be on the American Ryder Cup Team – As Captain!!! He is an AMAZING guy,” Trump wrote.
However, Bradley said he would not select himself to play in the matches even though he qualifies, in keeping with a tradition since Arnold Palmer in 1963.
Bradley, 39, is the youngest American captain since Palmer was 34. Whether he should play and maintain captain duties has been the subject of much debate, and Bradley has added to the intrigue by winning twice in the last year.
He shot 63 on Saturday — a few hours before Trump’s post on Truth Social — to get into fourth place with a chance to win the season-ending FedEx Cup.
