By Stefan Becket
Copyright cbsnews
Washington — President Trump is in New York to attend the first day of the 45th Ryder Cup, the prestigious golf tournament pitting the best players in the U.S. against the best in Europe.The Ryder Cup got underway early Friday morning at Bethpage Black on Long Island, one of the most challenging courses on the pro golf circuit. The competition takes place every two years, alternating between a course in the U.S. and one in Europe.Mr. Trump’s arrival at Bethpage in Farmingdale, New York, came as tight security was in place for the thousands of fans who packed the stands around the course. The president will return to the White House in the afternoon.”I’m going to go for a little while to represent the United States at the Ryder Cup, which is very exciting, and we’ll be watching that,” Mr. Trump told reporters before leaving the White House. He was accompanied by his eldest granddaughter Kai Trump, a talented high school golfer in her own right.He flew over the course on Air Force One before touching down in New York. The president lamented that Team USA “is not doing so well,” and joked that he had to travel to Bethpage to assist the American golfers. Chants of “U-S-A” broke out from the crowd when Mr. Trump was introduced at the tournament.Scottie Scheffler, the world’s best player and the anchor of the American team, said this week that the president’s presence would give the U.S. team a boost.”It’s been a tough few weeks for our country with some of the stuff that’s been going on, and to have our president here and for us to represent the United States of America, albeit being in a golf tournament, is extremely important for us,” Scheffler said, according to The Athletic.The Ryder Cup features two rounds of team matches on Friday and Saturday, before one-on-one matches on Sunday to close out the tournament. Mr. Trump touched down toward the end of the final match of the morning, before the afternoon groups tee off. The Americans entered this year’s tournament as favorites but quickly fell behind in early matches, dropping the first three foursome contests of the morning but winning the fourth on the 18th hole.An avid golfer himself and owner of several championship-level courses around the world, Mr. Trump has been highly engaged with the sport since returning to office. His course in Florida, Trump National Doral Miami, hosted a tournament for the LIV Golf tour in April, which he attended. And he has been involved in negotiations aimed at completing a merger between LIV and the PGA Tour, which remains unresolved. His courses are scheduled to host both LIV and PGA events next year.The Europeans currently hold the Ryder Cup, having defeated the Americans handily in Rome in 2023. The home team has won the past four Ryder Cups, with the last Europe win on U.S. soil coming in 2012. The tournament is known for its raucous crowds, with thousands of spectators boosting the home squad and berating the visitors.
