President Donald Trump said Saturday he will be at the Presidents Cup next month outside Chicago in the traditional role as honorary chairman of the matches, the second year in a row Trump will be at a premier team golf competition.
The Presidents Cup began in 1994 to include international players from non-European countries who were not eligible for the more famed Ryder Cup. The name of the tournament comes from including the head of state of the host country to be honorary chairman.
Canadian Prime Minister Julien Trudeau was part of the trophy presentation at the last Presidents Cup in 2024 at Royal Montreal.
Trump showed up at the Ryder Cup matches last September at Bethpage Black on Long Island during the opening round.
“At the request of the PGA Tour, and its Great new Commissioner, Brian Rolapp, it is my Honor to accept being the Honorary Chairman of the upcoming Presidents Cup, which will take place at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago,” Trump said on his social media site.
The Presidents Cup is Sept. 24-27 at Medinah Country Club, which has hosted the PGA Championship twice, the U.S. Open three times and the 2012 Ryder Cup.
Trump also dropped in during the final day of the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National, located across the Hudson River from Manhattan. That was during his first term in office.
President Bill Clinton was in office in 2000 when he attended for one round at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. Presidents Gerard Ford, out of office for 18 years, was the honorary chairman of the inaugural Presidents Cup in 1994.
The biggest display of former U.S. presidents was in 2017 when Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Clinton were together on the first tee during the opening session of matches at Liberty National. That was the year Trump came for the trophy presentation on the final day.
U.S. presidents and heads of state typically accept the honorary role but are not required to attend.
“The Presidents Cup has a proud tradition of engaging world leaders from across the globe and across political lines, and President Trump’s involvement continues that legacy,” Rolapp said. “His participation will help elevate the event on the international stage while furthering our mission of bringing people together through the game of golf.”
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Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press
