dpCHICAGO (WLS) — President Donald Trump is expected to visit Medinah Country Club on the final day of the Presidents Cup, with supporters and protesters planning separate gatherings outside the course ahead of his arrival.
Trump flew into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport before heading to the event.
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A Ground Stop for departures to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was issued due to “VIP,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The alert was issued from 10 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. with a 30-60% probability of extension.
Before the horseshoe-shaped grandstand was filled, the loudest buzz was Air Force One flying over Medinah, louder than any of the commercial airlines that have been flying over the course every 70 seconds throughout the week during descent to O’Hare.
Organizers of a pro-Trump rally planned to gather at 9 a.m. near Medinah Road and Lake Street and are encouraging supporters to bring flags and signs.
Meanwhile, local Democrats planned a separate demonstration for 10:15 a.m. A flyer for the event says participants will be protesting the Iran war and the cost of living.
The planned demonstrations come as fans arrive for the final day of competition. Tournament gates opened at 8 a.m., and officials expect more than 150,000 visitors over the course of the event.
The Secret Service said fans should expect additional screening while the president is at Medinah. The agency has been coordinating with local and state law enforcement in preparation for a presidential visit to the open-air venue.
The U.S. and International teams are scheduled to play their final matches Sunday. The singles competition begins just after 11 a.m., with players competing head-to-head.
With the president’s visit overlapping with tournament play, both demonstrations and heightened security measures are expected as spectators gather for the event’s final day.
Trump showed up at the end of the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National during his first term. The American team was practically assured of winning that year, and Trump posed with the U.S. players during the trophy presentation.
This time he was to be on the first tee for the start of the 12 matches at Medinah Country Club and was expected to be there until the last match teed off at 1:02 p.m. local time, giving him time to speak if he chooses.
Unlike regular golf tournaments, the first tee is boisterous with a flag-waving crowd and music. The U.S. team is trailing for only the fourth time in 32 years of the competition.
Trump is the honorary chairman of this year’s Presidents Cup.
“They were nice enough to name me chairman or honorary chairman, so it’s an honor. It’s a very big event, one of the biggest events in golf by far,” Trump told reporters Sunday morning as he left the White House. “You have the Ryder Cup, and you have the Presidents Cup, and this is a big one, and so it’s a great honor. So, I’m going there.”
It’s a traditional role offered to leaders of every country where the tournament is played.
Sunday marks Trump’s fourth visit to a golf tournament this year. According to the White House schedule, Trump’s appearance is expected to be a brief stop. The schedule shows the president returning to Washington after his visit, with no other Chicago-area appearances listed.
The Presidents Cup began in 1994 to include international players from non-European countries who were not eligible for the more famed Ryder Cup. The name of the tournament comes from including the head of state of the host country to be honorary chairman.
Then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was part of the trophy presentation at the last Presidents Cup in 2024 at Royal Montreal.
President Bill Clinton was in office in 2000 when he attended for one round at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. The first time Trump attended in 2017, the start of the week was the biggest display of presidents when Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama sat together on the first tee for the opening round.
Trump this year was at the Cadillac Championship at his Trump National Doral near Miami in early May. He also attended the LIV Golf event at his Trump National Bedminster course in New Jersey in August.
Earlier this month, he attended the Irish Open over the weekend at his course in Doonbeg, Ireland.
“You’ll be seeing the best players, the best golfers anywhere in the world. It’s going to be great,” Trump said when he landed at O’Hare. “I think for those of you that don’t play – you’ll get it. It’s tremendous power, touch, everything else.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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