Rory McIlroy played a round of golf with Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February 2017, shortly after Trump began his first presidential term. The outing drew widespread attention and criticism at the time.
Afterward, McIlroy offered a brief assessment of Trump’s golf game, saying Trump probably shot around 80 and describing him as a decent player for someone in his 70s. Those comments resurfaced in August 2026 as Trump’s golf scores and club-championship claims attracted renewed attention.
A round that sparked significant backlash
McIlroy accepted an invitation to play with Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in February 2017, about a month after Trump’s inauguration. It happened during a tense and highly divided political moment in America.
The outing generated substantial criticism, with some people interpreting McIlroy’s decision to play with the president as political support. McIlroy later rejected that interpretation and said the reaction had taken him aback.
He explained that the round was about golf rather than politics and said he had not expected the decision to produce such an intense response. The controversy prompted him to publicly clarify his reasons for accepting the invitation.
What McIlroy actually said about Trump’s game
After the 2017 round, McIlroy said Trump had probably shot around 80 and described him as a decent player for someone in his 70s. He did not hold back or dodge the simple question at all. McIlroy said Trump shot somewhere around 80 that afternoon.
McIlroy did not provide a detailed technical evaluation of Trump’s swing in that assessment. His comments were brief and focused primarily on Trump’s approximate score and overall ability for his age. McIlroy avoided empty flattery and stuck closely to what he actually witnessed.
McIlroy said the round was not a political endorsement
Following the backlash, McIlroy publicly explained that playing with Trump was not intended as an endorsement or political statement. He said that regardless of a person’s view of the president, he respected the office Trump held.
McIlroy said golf was their common ground and noted that his career had allowed him to meet people from different countries, beliefs, and cultures. He insisted the round meant absolutely nothing beyond that simple shared interest.
He later reiterated that the pair had talked about golf rather than government policy during the round. McIlroy said he enjoyed the experience but was surprised by how strongly people reacted to it. He hoped his honest statement would finally clear up the confusion.
McIlroy’s relationship with Trump has changed over time
In March 2016, McIlroy said the U.S. presidential race did not affect him directly because Trump would not be the leader of his country and McIlroy could not vote in the election. He said Trump was “not going to be the leader of my country.”
His relationship with Trump later became more complicated. After defending their 2017 round, McIlroy strongly criticized Trump’s leadership in 2020 and said he probably would not play golf with him again. The latter PGA Tour-LIV Golf dispute brought Trump and McIlroy back into the same golf-related discussions.
By early 2025, McIlroy had played another round with Trump and said the president could be influential in PGA Tour negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund because of his relationships and political access. That represented renewed cooperation on golf matters rather than a simple, uninterrupted move toward greater personal approval.
Fun fact: Trump’s official golf handicap is listed as 2.8, the lowest ever recorded by a U.S. president.
Trump has longstanding ties to golf
Trump has played golf with numerous prominent athletes and professional golfers over the years. England captain Harry Kane confirmed in July 2026 that he had played a round with Trump in Palm Beach roughly 18 months earlier.
Trump has also played with major golf figures, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Bryson DeChambeau. His business interests are also deeply connected to the sport, with numerous Trump-branded golf courses and resorts in the United States and abroad.
Trump also regularly publicizes his own golf results and club-championship claims. His reported scores and championship totals have repeatedly attracted both praise and scrutiny. Golf remains, by far, one of his most visible and lasting personal hobbies.
Bedminster win renews interest in Trump’s golf ability
Trump announced on August 2 that he had won both the Senior and Super Senior club championships at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. He said he shot a 2-under 70 and attributed the result to talent despite having little time to practice.
The result drew renewed scrutiny from longtime Trump golf critic Rick Reilly and others who have questioned Trump’s scores and championship claims. Reilly has accused Trump of bending golf rules and manipulating scores, allegations that Trump’s representatives have denied.
Against that backdrop, McIlroy’s 2017 assessment that Trump was a decent player who had probably shot around 80 has resurfaced in current sports coverage. The quote offers a professional golfer’s firsthand impression from one round, but it does not verify Trump’s more recent Bedminster score.
Politics has played a role in professional golf’s divide
The PGA Tour directly asked Trump to become involved in its negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in February 2025. Tour officials said at the time that his involvement had brought the sides closer to a possible agreement.
McIlroy also said Trump could be influential because of his relationships with Saudi leaders. However, optimism has since faded. In January 2026, McIlroy said the PGA Tour and LIV Golf had grown too far apart for him to see a realistic path to reunification at that point.
Both men remain central figures whenever golf and political power happen to collide. Their long-running relationship shows how sports and politics often overlap in unexpected ways. Fans and reporters continue watching closely for whatever either man decides to say next.
Little-known fact: During a 2024 presidential debate, Biden claimed a golf handicap of 6, then quietly corrected it to 8.
TL;DR
- McIlroy played golf with Trump in Florida in February 2017.
- He said Trump probably shot around 80 and was a decent player for his age.
- McIlroy said the round was not an endorsement or political statement.
- McIlroy criticized Trump’s leadership in 2020 but later played with him again and said in 2025 that Trump could help PGA Tour-PIF negotiations.
- Trump’s claimed 2026 Bedminster club-championship victory renewed scrutiny of his reported golf scores and record.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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