Rory McIlroy won’t be hitting the links with President Donald Trump anytime soon.
During a Thursday appearance on the McKellar Golf Podcast, the professional golfer said he doesn’t have a tee time scheduled with Trump and probably never will.
The two played a round three years ago and McIlroy said that was the last time he would play with the president. He said he disagrees with how the president is handling the coronavirus pandemic.
After McIlroy played with Trump in 2017, he said he was berated on social media. He said people called him a “fascist” and a “bigot.”
When asked about the round and the reaction, he said it was “guilt by association” and he was in no way making an endorsement or political statement by playing the sport with the president.
McIlroy said Trump has invited him to play since then, but he has turned down offers.
He said he had a great day with Trump when they played in 2017.
“He’s very charismatic, he was nice to everyone — it didn’t matter whether you were me or guys in the cart barn or the pro at the golf club,” he said. “He has something. He obviously has something or he wouldn’t be in the White House, right? He has something — whatever it is, an X factor, charisma, whatever. Most people that he came across that day he was cordial to, he was nice and personable.”
But, the No. 1 ranked golfer said he doesn't agree with “anything” the country's leader says.
“We’re in the midst of something that’s pretty serious right now and the fact that he’s trying to politicize it and make it a campaign rally and say we’re administering the most tests in world like it is a contest — there’s something that just is terrible,’’ McIlroy said. “It’s not the way a leader should act. There’s a sort of diplomacy that you need to have, and I don’t think he’s showing that — especially in these times.’’
McIlroy said he isn’t sure he will receive an invitation to play with Trump after his comments. But if he did, he would turn it down.
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