Rory Mcllroy once claimed that he would never play golf with President Trump.
Rory McIlroy Once Said He’d Never Play Golf With Donald Trump — Then Changed Course Years Later
Rory McIlroy is a two-time Masters champion and is in pursuit of the career Grand Slam following his big victories at Augusta National.
The Northern Irish player recorded a 71 on the last day to end at 12-under par, almost missing a playoff with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, finishing only one stroke ahead of him on the leaderboard when play concluded, as reported by The Irish Star. U.S. President Trump, who loves playing golf and frequently plays golf on weekends, congratulated the two-time winner. Trump praised McIlroy after his recent achievement, while promoting his golf properties.
In another post, Trump referred to McIlroy as a "legend," emphasizing his ability to "perform under intense pressure," saying that he has high respect for the 36-year-old. However, McIlroy has not publicly reciprocated those sentiments. The Irish Star Sport report has taken a detailed look at their past, highlighting Trump's reaction to a Ryder Cup insult and McIlroy's big claim that he would never play golf with the president again, according to CBC.
Trump's Truth Social post congratulating Rory Mcllroy.
Ryder Cup insult
After Luke Donald's team's Ryder Cup win in September, Trump became the target of taunts and chants from Team Europe supporters, much to the delight of Shane Lowry and McIlroy, and it wasn't long before the players joined in the singing.
In the locker room after their win, McIlroy recorded himself and the entire Team Europe chanting, "Are you watching, Donald Trump?" drawing attention from fans and commentators. Nonetheless, when Trump eventually replied, he did so sincerely, as he extended his congratulations to the team. "Yes, I’m watching. Congratulations!" he posted on X in reply to the video.
McIlroy's harsh remarks and U-turn
In 2020, McIlroy raised eyebrows when he announced that he would not play golf with Trump again after the president's management of the coronavirus pandemic during his first term in the White House.
In an interview with the McKellar Journal podcast, McIlroy was questioned about any regrets he had regarding his round with Trump in February 2017. Reacting, the golfer said that he played "out of respect for the office", despite facing the backlash on social media.
McIlroy said he "hadn't done it since... by choice," and when questioned further, he expressed his dislike of how Trump tried to politicize the pandemic, making it into "a contest." On being asked if he would play for Donald Trump again, McIlroy firmly said, "I don’t know if he’d want to play with me again after what I just said. [...] But no, I wouldn’t."
Rory McIlroy won back to back Masters Tournaments.
What was shocking was how five years after making negative remarks about Trump, McIlroy completely changed his stance on his connection with the president. He said that he enjoyed a round of golf with the U.S. president before the president's January 2025 inauguration, amid the PGA Tour's ongoing fight with LIV Golf.