Rory McIlroy once enjoyed a round of golf with President Donald Trump under the watchful eyes of secret service agents armed with snipers.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman made headlines worldwide at the weekend by finally completing his career Grand Slam via a win at the Masters 17 years in the making. And while the pressure of being pitted off against some of the world’s best players at Augusta National may have been palpable, McIlroy is no stranger to intense encounters on the links and fairways.
Back in January 2017, McIlroy enjoyed a round of golf with Trump under the watchful eye of police officers and secret service agents on duty to protect the President of the United States. On the instance, he said: “To go there and see 30 secret service and 30 cops and snipers in the trees, it’s just – I mean, it was just a surreal experience for me to see something like that.
“That was part of the reason I wanted to go and play. If it had been [Barack] Obama I would have gone to play. I’ve played golf with President Clinton, I’ve spent time with President Bush.
“I’ve been around quite a few presidents before and again, like putting beliefs and whatever to one side, I just wanted to have an experience that I might not ever get [again]; play golf with a sitting president. You can respect the guy, not respect the guy, I don’t care, but if someone has a chance to play in that scenario and just sort of experience the whole thing… it’s not as if we were speaking foreign policy out there.
“We were talking about golf and the grass that he put on the greens and the grass that he’s putting on the greens at [Trump-owned] Doral. We talked golf the entire day.
“I think he was happier to talk golf than anything else that he has to do these days. I’m not an American. I can’t change the way the political system or what’s going to happen. I can’t vote.”
McIlroy’s decision to accept Trump’s invitation was ultimately met with backlash from some golf fans, given the President’s political moves during his years in power. However, he was quick to apologise for any upset caused. He added: “I’m sorry if I p****d people off but I felt I was in a position where I couldn’t really do anything but say ‘yes’.
“Respect the office even if you don’t respect the guy that’s in it, go play and go from there. I actually enjoyed myself, I had a good time. Yes I was a little bit taken aback by the blow back I received but I get why.
“It’s a tough place to be in, it’s a tough position, and maybe if I look back on it I put myself in a position where I was going to get that from either side one way or the other. I was just doing what I felt was respectful and the president of the United States phones you up and wants to play golf with you.”
It comes as McIlroy added an elusive Green Jacket to his collection of golfing majors on Sunday, to finally join a club of just five other golfers who have completed a career Grand Slam. After finishing normal play tied for first at 11-under-par alongside Justin Rose, the two embarked on one last dance of the 18th at Augusta in sudden-death fashion.
Both McIlroy and Rose found the green within two shots, albeit, McIlroy landed far closer to the pin that his English rival in doing so. When Rose’s 15-foot putt for birdie veered off to the right, McIlroy was quick to convert his own from three feet to secure his first-ever Masters title.
Speaking in the Butler Cabin after his win, he said: “I’m so proud to call myself a Masters champion, I couldn’t be more proud of myself. This is my 17th time here and I’ve wondered if it would ever be my time.
“With the burden of the grand slam on me, I wonder what we’ll all talk about going into next year’s Masters. I just want to say hello to my mum and dad, they’re back home in Northern Ireland… I just can’t wait to go home and celebrate this with them.”
Order your exclusive 40-page souvenir special – The Master: Rory McIlroy Joins the Giants of Golf. Relive the heartbreak, redemption, and triumph of Ireland’s greatest golfing legend as he joins the sport’s all-time greats. On sale April 19th – order your copy here and own a piece of sporting history.
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