Delays, drama, and unwrapped tampons: Inside the Ryder Cup chaos caused by Donald Trump

Donald Trump's appearance at the Ryder Cup caused chaos at Bethpage.

Trump’s arrival at the Ryder Cup threw Bethpage into turmoil. Behind the grandstands and around the first tee, fans, players, and Secret Service alike found themselves in a day of drama, delays, and unique spectacle.

The President’s decision to attend the 45th Ryder Cup had been well-publicised in the long build-up to this event. When the week finally arrived, the only topic that received more coverage was the PGA of America’s controversial decision to pay Team USA players for the first time.

Throughout their press conferences, players and captains were pushed for their views on the prospect of the leader of the free world’s presence on the opening day. To a man, they welcomed the prospect… even if it was abundantly clear some were simply avoiding becoming a headline. “Just another spectator,” chuckled Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre.

Trump was originally scheduled to appear for the start of the day’s play, but the PGA of America requested a later arrival to avoid the kind of disruption seen when he attended last month’s US Open tennis at Flushing Meadows.

While that move ensured things ran smoothly for Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald’s teams, it proved anything but for the fans. The throngs of spectators, who’d paid $750 for the right to attend the biennial clash, were left to battle through even heavier-than-usual Long Island traffic thanks to the vast security operation in place, and make their way through clashes between pro- and anti-Trump protesters.

Once inside the gates, fans and media faced the heaviest security ever seen at a golf event. Heavily-armed Secret Service agents buzzed around (note: it’s not a secret when it’s stamped across your chest, guys) and the sight of a woman dressed as the Statue of Liberty being scanned by a stern-looking agent was something to behold.

Restrictions on what could be brought in were tightened (no umbrellas, rangefinders, vapes, foldable chairs, torches, and a whole lot more), and every object inspected within an inch of its life – just ask the woman who was made to unwrap her tampons – with multiple TSA-style checkpoints to clear. Sniffer dogs were hard at work as gun-wielding agents talked into their chests and earpieces crackled.

Getting onto a flight would have been easier than it was to get into that towering 1st tee grandstand on Friday morning.

Perhaps going through that process explains why the jingoistic, boisterous crowd we’d been expecting were nowhere to be found when we’d finally made our way through security.

Instead, the atmosphere was stifled, pumping music giving the impression of excitement, only for eerie silence to take over when the DJ hit mute.

With the opening day’s foursomes underway, the President was pictured addressing media outside the White House, 264 miles southwest, as he prepared to board a helicopter to Air Force One for his journey to Bethpage. He was dressed smartly in a dark tailored suit… finished off with a pair of white FootJoy Premiere golf shoes, which was quite a look.

Perhaps he’d predicted the US side’s miserable start in their bid to win this famous trophy back and was hoping Keegan Bradley would give him the late nod.

Trump was likely watching the action on TV during his time in the air, but he might have wanted to change the channel. Europe’s perfect start saw them go 3-0 up just moments after the President’s aircraft flew over the course.

“The team is not doing so well…So when I heard that, I said ‘Let’s go on the plane we have to try and help them!’” Trump said upon landing.

By that stage, Bradley was seemingly desperate for the President’s arrival.

“Well, we just had the President fly over in his Air Force One, so I’ve got a feeling things are going to turn here,” he replied when asked how his side could reverse their fortunes in the afternoon.

As Trump made his way towards the course, Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay produced a late surge to win the final match and get a much-needed point on the board for the US.

Minutes after they’d walked off the 18^th green, the President arrived, making his way through the players’ tunnel to a rapturous reception from a now beer-fueled crowd, not put off by $15 for a Michelob.

Flanked by his granddaughter, Kai Madison (herself an excellent golfer), and security team, Trump greeted the crowd like a player, waving and pumping his fists before heading to front-row seats surrounded by what looked like a display cabinet – albeit a bulletproof one.

Agents swarmed among the packed grandstands as hordes of White House press photographers were given priority positions to capture Trump’s every move. Spectators jostled for position, phones in hand as they tried to capture their own glimpses and images of the President.

Meanwhile, Bradley and Donald arrived back on the tee, ready for the afternoon fourballs to begin. Donald and Donald greeted each other with a handshake and polite conversation before the US leaders embraced and shared a laugh.

Trump returned to his safe space as the music blared, Bradley heading towards him and mimicking the President’s famous dance-shuffle with a huge grin.

As players made their way to the tee, Trump acknowledged each of them as they passed his vantage point. Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy gave him a big thumbs up, while others raised a hand or nodded.

And then there was Bryson DeChambeau. As the big-hitting LIV star exited the tunnel, Trump left his protected zone to greet the man he appointed chair of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition in July.

As the players were announced on the tee, so was Trump, greeting more cheers from the MAGA brigade, and he remained within a decent two-putt length as DeChambeau, Griffin, Rose, and Fleetwood hit the opening shots of their afternoons.

Once the final group of Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns got their rounds underway, the President was gone. He’d seen 16 tee shots and been on site for less than two hours.

But did his visit have the effect Bradley was so desperately hoping for? Not really. Team USA lost the afternoon session 2.5–1.5 for a 5.5–2.5 deficit after the first day’s play – and history is not on their side.

At the end of the first day, it’s clear which Donald will be the happier of the two – and it’s not the one in the dodgy suit-and-golf-shoes combo.

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