President Trump Reportedly Seeks to Address Fans at the Presidents Cup

President Donald Trump reportedly asked the PGA Tour for 15 minutes to address players and fans from the first tee before Sunday’s final matches at the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club. The Tour has not confirmed the request, saying only that it is preparing for a potential visit; the White House had not responded to requests for comment. Trump is attending as honorary chairman for the second time, a distinction previously shared only by Barack Obama, and presidents have traditionally taken part in the event. U.S. team member Wyndham Clark welcomed Trump’s planned attendance, calling it exciting for an American player.
A review of past Presidents Cups found no instance of a U.S. president speaking before the final rounds. Bill Clinton did speak for about six minutes at the tournament’s opening ceremony in 2000, but that is the only comparable precedent cited.
Trump attended the Texas–Tennessee football game in Knoxville on Saturday, the day before the Presidents Cup. In an interview there, he praised Texas quarterback Arch Manning, saying Manning had “great genetics.”
At last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, Trump arrived with his granddaughter Kai to a mixed welcome at the first tee but did not make a public speech.
Wyndham Clark said Trump’s attendance felt extraordinary to him as a player: “Being an American and having the President of the United States coming to watch you play golf is something that as a kid you don’t ever imagine or fathom happening.”
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