Keegan Bradley and J.J. Spaun were among the American players to fawn over President Donald Trump as he arrived at the Ryder Cup on Friday, with the US trailing Europe 3-1
All eyes were on President Donald Trump as he made a grand entrance at the Ryder Cup on Friday. And it didn’t take long for Keegan Bradley and his American team to treat him like royalty.
Captain Bradley led the way, performing the ‘Trump dance’ and bowing down as he emerged from the tunnel and walked past the protective glass box housing the president. US Open champion JJ Spaun and Scottie Scheffler followed suit, leading Team USA out in the opening match of Friday’s fourballs.
While Scheffler was more reserved, offering a fist pump in Trump’s direction, Ryder Cup newbie Spaun followed his captain’s lead and performed his own rendition of Trump’s signature dance. The president made an appearance at Bethpage Black after the Americans suffered a major loss in the Friday morning foursomes, trailing 3-1 to Luke Donald’s Europe.
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The New York crowd gave Trump a warm welcome as he was introduced to the stadium seating surrounding the first tee and 18th green at Bethpage, before being escorted to the glass box for the national anthem and an F-18 fighter jet flyover, reports the Mirror US.
The 79-year-old stood alongside his 18-year-old granddaughter, Kai, who is set to play collegiate golf at the University of Miami in 2026. While Scheffler and Spaun were eager to impress the president, Europe’s Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka took a very different approach.
They completely ignored the commander-in-chief as they walked past his enclosure to the tee. After remaining within the safety of the opening group, Trump stepped out to greet Bryson DeChambeau and his playing partner Ben Griffin.
The President then engaged in a friendly chat with Bradley before shaking hands with Donald. Trump lingered at the back of the tee box, occasionally turning to the crowd to encourage more noise for the home team, and he was met with enthusiastic chants of “USA!” in response.
Interactions between other players and the President were more subtle. Patrick Cantlay gestured in his direction, while Rory McIlroy offered a gentle wave and a thumbs-up.
Before jetting off to Long Island on Air Force One, Trump told reporters: “The team is not doing so well. I heard that, so I said, ‘Let’s get on the plane; we have to try and help them.'”
After being significantly outplayed in the opening frame, Bradley was hopeful that the President’s presence would inspire a comeback for the home team.
He said: “It’s not exactly what we wanted, but we know the Ryder Cup is going to be ebbs and flows, and I’ve got a lot of faith in our boys. We just had the President fly over in his Air Force One, so I’ve got a feeling things are going to turn here.”
Trump was clearly popular with large portions of the crowd at Bethpage Black, and many golf fans will see his support to the tournament as an incredible gesture. However, fans on this side of the pond may see Bradley and some of his players’ idolisation of the President as a step too far.
