Over the weekend, former United States President Donald Trump offered his congratulations to Bryson DeChambeau for his U.S. Open victory in a social media post that seemed to include several shots at Rory McIlroy, who missed some key putts to give DeChambeau the victory. While it’s not clear if the shade toward McIlroy was intentional, it is clear that the two don’t exactly have a warm relationship.
Rory McIlroy has refused to play golf with Donald Trump since 2020 when he criticized the former president for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s some stuff that just is terrible,” McIlroy said of Trump’s leadership back in 2020 according to ESPN. “It’s not the way a leader should act. There is a bit of diplomacy that you need to show, and I just don’t think he’s showing that, especially in these times.”
McIlroy had previously played golf with Trump back in 2017, which sparked criticism at the time. But he made it very clear that he would refuse to play with Trump again.
“I don’t know if he’d want to play with me again after what I just said,” McIlroy said. “I know it’s very self-serving of me to say no, and if I don’t, then it means I’m not putting myself in position to be under scrutiny and that I’m avoiding that.
“But no, I wouldn’t.”
Clearly, McIlroy is not a fan of Trump.
[ESPN]
