By Amy Tennery
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -Extraordinary levels of security will be in place when the Ryder Cup tees off on Friday, with U.S. President Donald Trump expected to step back into the sport spotlight at the famed Bethpage Black Course.
New York State Police will deploy helicopters, drones and their Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear response team with a “highly visible” show of force at the pastoral Long Island venue for the treasured biennial golf showcase between Europe and the United States.
“We want to assure the public that no matter the size of the crowds or the level of activity, we are prepared,” state police told Reuters, declining to comment on the number of officers – including local and federal agents – expected.
Ticketholders braved Long Island’s famously tedious traffic even before the competition began, navigating the numerous road closures around Bethpage State Park as they arrived for Tuesday’s practice round.
Organizers urged ticketholders to arrive as early as possible on Friday and said that fans would be subject to airport-style screening points across the sprawling venue.
Republican Trump has attended numerous sports events to meet with supporters, particularly in his second term, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Super Bowl in February.
He received a mixed reaction in Queens at the U.S. Open earlier this month, as security delays saw thousands of fans stranded outside Arthur Ashe Stadium while the men’s championship match began.
Ryder Cup organizers risk the ire of fans if a similar scene unfolds on Friday, with the get-in price for Friday’s first day of competition upwards of $1,000 on second-hand ticket platforms.
“While we understand thousands will be attending such a prestigious event, we also recognize the inconvenience it may cause to the local community,” state police said.
“While we cannot completely eliminate that inconvenience, we have worked tirelessly to make sure we can minimize it.”
Inconveniences aside, Trump is likely to get a warm welcome on Long Island, a Republican stronghold that neighbors the deeply Democratic New York City, as he soaks in his beloved sport.
Trump-owned golf properties have hosted multiple events for the breakaway Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, while he counts several of golf’s biggest names among his friends and supporters.
“I get a call or a text from him sometimes after wins,” world number one Scottie Scheffler told reporters in Bethpage this week. “He just loves the game of golf.”
The game has not always loved him back.
Trump’s two Scottish golf courses have struggled as polls show the U.S. president remains widely unpopular in Britain.
The PGA of America, co-organiser of the Ryder Cup, stripped Trump National Golf Club of the 2022 PGA Championship days after the deadly Jan. 6, 2021 attack, during which Trump urged thousands of supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Comments