Rory McIlroy’s former agent has revealed how the 2025 Masters champion has previously played golf with US President Donald Trump.
As the 2026 Masters gets underway on Thursday (April 9), all eyes are on Augusta National Golf Club as 91 players, including reigning champion McIlroy, compete for the coveted Green Jacket.
Despite Tiger Woods’ absence due to his recent issues away from the course, an array of big names will take to the course, including Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele and Jon Rahm.
While the official prize purse has not been made public, the winner is expected to receive in excess of $4.2million.
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As ever, fans and players alike are expected to follow several course rules, with the use of mobile phones prohibited, while running, tipping or sitting on the grass is also forbidden. Spectators are also not allowed to bring their own refreshments onto the course, while boos and protests are also on the no-go list.
Given the prestige of the event, even President Trump will likely have a watchful eye on proceedings, particularly because he and McIlroy are “almost neighbours”, according to the Northern Irishman’s former agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler.
Speaking to BoyleSports, Chandler, who worked with McIlroy between 2007 and 2011, said: “You forget that Donald will have played with Rory three or four times in Jupiter. They’re almost neighbours.
“I’ve played golf with Trump, and he’s one of those people who is amusing, but he’s not trying to be. He’s very generous. When the most famous guy in the world wants to play golf with you, you have to not like him to say no, don’t you?
“I don’t know how many times Rory has played with him, but I’ll bet it’s more than once. Trump loves golfers. He absolutely loves golfers. The President of America is a proper golfing nut, and there’s nothing wrong with it. You’re better off having the President of America like golf rather than not like golf. It gives golf a chance.”
The President is an avid golfer and regularly plays the sport, while also owning 16 courses around the world.
However, Trump will not be at the 2026 Masters and may also be prevented from ever gaining course membership, according to golf icon Butch Harmon.
Harmon was asked why Trump was not a member of Augusta National, to which he responded: “I think you can answer that yourself. Because he’s Trump.
“I think he is who he is. He’s full of himself. He’s the type of person that I don’t think fits the profile of an Augusta member. I’ve known him most of my whole life because his father was a member of Winged Foot.
“I’ve known Donald pretty much my whole life. What you see is what you get with him, and I don’t think his personality fits the membership at Augusta.
“I don’t think that [being president] has anything to do with it, because there have been a lot of other presidents who played golf, and they’re not members. [Bill] Clinton, [Barack] Obama… they played golf. I think it’s just his personality doesn’t mix with that particular club. That’s as politically correct as I can be.”
Topics: Rory Mcilroy, Donald Trump, Golf
Luke Davies