Overview
- McIlroy, who attended the White House state dinner Tuesday with his wife, was singled out as President Trump paused his toast and asked him to stand for applause while praising his “unconquerable courage.”
- The 36-year-old won a second straight Masters earlier in April, becoming only the fourth player to claim back-to-back green jackets at Augusta National.
- The two-time defending Masters champion is skipping this week’s PGA Tour Cadillac Championship at Trump National Doral and is expected to return at the Truist Championship next week as preparation for the PGA Championship.
- The dinner, billed by the White House as honoring the U.S.–U.K. “special relationship” during King Charles III’s visit, drew mainly business and media leaders, making McIlroy one of the few athletes present.
- The public nod came after Trump’s online congratulations post-Masters and followed a winding history between the two, with McIlroy criticizing Trump after a 2017 round before playing with him again in 2025.