Rory McIlroy snubbed by Donald Trump ahead of Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy was overlooked by US President Donald Trump who praised Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler as the current cream of the crop in the golfing world.
An avid golfer himself, Trump hit the links with US Open champ DeChambeau at his course in Washington, D. C.
Although DeChambeau's bids at the Masters and PGA Championship fell short, he still holds the World No. 10 position.
He triumphed recently at LIV South Korea, marking his first win since his victory over McIlroy at last year's US Open, which also represented his third title on the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf series. In the wake of their round of golf in the nation's capital last Sunday, Trump was all compliments for DeChambeau.
Trump enthused: "He is a great guy, a great golfer. Probably the No. 1 now, him and Scottie [Scheffler] are rated at the top. We play golf a lot together. It is not a very pleasant experience for me. I always consider myself a reasonably long hitter. Then I play with him. I go home and my wife says, 'Are you as long as Bryson?' I said, 'Yeah, I am pretty close'. It is not close.", reports Belfast Live.
Curiously, Trump didn't mention McIlroy when talking about top golfers, even though the Northern Irishman achieved the prestigious career Grand Slam with his Masters victory in April. McIlroy came out ahead of DeChambeau during their rounds at Augusta.
The five-time major winner experienced a sweet comeback, having been pipped to the post by DeChambeau at the previous year's US Open. The LIV golfer is gearing up to defend his crown this month as the season's third major swings back to Oakmont.
While Trump's allegiance may be up in the air, it's widely believed that DeChambeau is the frontrunner for his support. Their camaraderie dates back to DeChambeau's appearance on stage after Trump clinched his second presidential term.
DeChambeau has even featured Trump on his YouTube channel for a round of golf, amassing 15 million views since its premiere last July. Speaking to the Times earlier this year, DeChambeau shared: "I've known him for more than eight years and we've developed a friendship."
He elaborated on their rapport, saying, "It's been fun to get to know who he truly is rather than what people think and see of him. That's what we were trying to do when we had him on 'Break 50'."
The golfer emphasised the non-political nature of Trump's appearance, stating, "We didn't make it political, we made it about golf and entertainment and raised a quarter of a million for charity. I try to keep space, but if he wants to play golf, we'll play golf. He's good with people he trusts."
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