Has Rory joined Team Trump?
HE might still be recovering from a rib injury, but Rory McIlroy took time out to join US president Donald Trump for a round of golf – prompting fans to criticise the sports star.
The world number three has not played competitively since suffering a stress fracture during last month’s South African Open.
But he hopped into a golf cart with the US president for all 18 holes at Trump International Golf Club in Florida, according to golf website No Laying Up. Mr McIlroy, 27, even went so far as to describe Mr Trump as ‘a decent player’. ‘He probably shot around 80. He’s a decent player for a guy in his 70s,’ he told the website.
A picture posted on Twitter showed Mr McIlroy and Mr Trump joined by Garry Singer, chief executive of Clear Sports, and former New York Yankee baseball player Paul O’Neill. Earlier this month,
DONALD Trump has appointed Army Lieutenant General HR McMaster as his new national security adviser, replacing Michael Flynn. Mr Trump announced his selection yesterday at his Florida club and said Lt Gen. McMaster is ‘a man of tremendous talent and tremendous experience’. He served in the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq and has a PhD in military history. Mr Trump named acting national security advisor, retired Lt Gen. Keith Kellogg as chief of staff to the National Security Council.
Mr Trump flew Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe to the same course for a round.
Meanwhile, McIlroy hopes to make his comeback in next week’s WGC-Mexico Championship. The event was moved from Trump National Doral in Miami to Mexico City and renamed from the WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Speaking last June, and in reference to Mr Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico, McIlroy had joked: ‘It’s quite ironic we’re going to Mexico after being at Doral. We’ll just jump over the wall.’
But, while it may have seemed like a great chance to rub shoulders with the world’s most powerful man, the Irish player’s decision has upset many of his fans.
McIlroy got a call from the White House on Saturday asking if he would be good to play on Sunday. His primary residence is in Jupiter, Florida, around half an hour’s drive from Trump International.
McIlroy’s decision shocked followers of the mostly apolitical Irish player, who ducked out of the Olympics rather than choose between playing for the Republic of Ireland or the UK. Independent Independent South Dublin County Councillor Dermot Looney tweeted: ‘I’ve no problem with @McIlroyRory choosing to stay out of Northern politics. But playing in his free time with Trump *IS* a political choice.’
Nathan Murphy, a soccer commentator and broadcaster on Newstalk said he was ‘pretty shocked that Rory agreed to play with Trump’. ‘He’s injured, he had a perfect excuse to dodge it,’ Murphy said. ‘Massive error of judgement.’ Others were appalled by the golfer choosing to be seen alongside a president that they deemed a ‘fascist’. Tom Richards messaged the player, asking ‘so olympics=no, but playing a round with fascist @realDonaldTrump is fine if your sponsors say so? Great decision making.’
A user named Meeche simply said ‘So white supremacist much Rory?’ Journalist Fachtna Ó Ceallaigh joked: ‘Idea for a TV program: “Tee with Tyrants”. Rory McIlroy travels the world playing golf with various despots.’ But not everyone was outraged. Tony Darby remarked: ‘Gained some respect for Rory seeing this. Make America Great Again!’