SPRINGFIELD, NJ - JULY 29: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club on July 29, 2016 in Springfield, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
World No. 3 golfer Rory McIlroy has landed himself in hot water over an incident that occurred over the weekend.
The 27-year-old Northern Irishman played 18 holes with President Donald Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, early Sunday after receiving an invitation on Saturday night to play alongside the American President.
“He probably shot around 80,” McIlroy told golf website Not Laying Up. “He’s a decent player for a guy in his 70s.”
McIlroy also later tweeted a photo of himself with Trump, Clear Sports CEO Garry Singer, and New York Yankees legend Paul O’Neill, which is how most outraged fans learned of the incident and jumped on Twitter to express their discontent.
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McIlroy, who is recovering from a fractured rib, rode in a cart for the entire time he played on Sunday. He finished second at last month’s South Africa Open, although the website said he felt he had to make an exception to his planned return to play next weekend in order to play alongside Trump.
Not Laying Up also added that McIlroy stated his rehabilitation is on schedule, and he plans to stay in the World Golf Championships in Mexico next week.
The four-time major champion will also attempt to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters in April at Augusta National.
Here are some of the tweets criticizing McIlroy for playing with Trump, who has proven to be a very polarizing figure ever since he announced his run for President in June 2015.
Piers Morgan was the highest-profile figure to rush to McIlroy’s defense:
McIlroy was actually asked about Trump about a year ago, during the election. He responded:
“I’m not American … He’s not going to be the leader of my country so it doesn’t bother me…I can’t vote and if I could I’m not sure I would for any of the candidates.”
SPRINGFIELD, NJ – JULY 29: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club on July 29, 2016 in Springfield, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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