Rory McIlroy the latest to tee up with President Trump
Despite being injured, Rory McIlroy has revealed he snuck in a quick 18 with the new POTUS at Trump International on Sunday.
What do Rory McIlroy and Ernie Else have in common? Well, lots of things actually, but the answer we’re looking for is they’ve both played a round with Donald Trump since he became president.
If you want to extend the game – they both played golf with President Trump despite being sidelined with injury.
Els had barely taken his shoes off after withdrawing from the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, reportedly saying: “I would play with him even if I was half dead.”
McIlroy, meanwhile, is currently out with a stress fracture in his rib, but revealed to No Laying Up that he got the call on Saturday to play with the President on Sunday at Trump International.
So how did the Most Powerful Man in the World get on?
“He probably shot around 80,” McIlroy told NLU. “He’s a decent player for a guy in his 70s.”
The unlikely golfing pair were pictured on Twitter by Clear Sports, along with the company’s CEO Garry Singer and former New York Yankees star Paul O’Neill – though these two did not make up the fourball.
Big battle today at Trump International with Clear CEO Garry Singer @McIlroyRory @PaulONeillYES @realDonaldTrump Drain the putt… pic.twitter.com/AZJqEVtlBT
— ClearSports (@ClearSportsLLC) February 19, 2017
McIlroy also told NLU that despite playing off the forward tees like us normal humans, he did hit a few drives, with the Trackman stats showing he is swinging at almost full speed.
The four-time major champion returns to action this weekend at the WGC-Mexico Championship at Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico City – formerly the Cadillac Championship at, yep, Trump National Doral.
Trump himself has come under fire from his critics for the amount of golf he has played since taking over the White House from Barack Obama – a man whom he relentlessly criticised on Twitter for playing too much golf. Trump is understood to have played a round of golf on all but one weekend of his presidency to date.
Be sure to stay tuned for next week’s edition of “President Trump plays golf with…”
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
