Luke Donald has called on Ryder Cup bosses to learn from the President Trump-inspired bedlam at the US Open that caused a half-hour to the men’s singles final.
Hundreds of fans were unable to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium until the second set due to the vastly heightened security protocols to accommodate Trump.
It was an ominous warning of what to expect at Bethpage Black in a fortnight, with Trump having stated his intention to be on the first tee during day one of the match between Europe and the US.
European captain Donald said: ‘We were told that he’s coming. We don’t know the details yet and I think the tours are talking with The PGA of America to get more information. I guess he will want to be on the first tee.
‘Again, we understand that he’s coming and both teams will be ready for that. There was some delays at the tennis and I think we’re probably all aware of that, but hopefully they have learnt from that.
‘It’s a big process, obviously, to get a president to come to an event – there’s a lot of security and everything. It takes some work and the PGA of America’s job is to make sure it’s seamless. I think the crowd is probably going to be loud no matter what.’
Luke Donald has called on Ryder Cup bosses to learn from the Trump-inspired bedlam recently
At the US Open final on Sunday, chaos occurred outside the arena as thousands of fans lined up to enter amid increased security measures for Trump’s arrival
The US Open men’s final was thrown into chaos on Sunday as the match was pushed back due to the extra security measures in place for President Trump’s arrival.
The tournament has significantly beefed up the security for the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which was supposed to begin at 2pm local time.
However, tournament organizers announced on Sunday that the match was being pushed back to 2:30, and there were still massive lines to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium just minutes before that revised start time. The match ultimately didn’t start until 2:49.
All entrants of Arthur Ashe Arena were asked to empty their pockets and go through airport-style scanners in their way in.
That resulted in massive lines with hundreds of fans waiting to get into the stadium, and nearly-empty stands not long before the match began.
Trump attended Sunday’s final with a large entourage which included Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (far left), Attorney General Pam Bondi (third from left), granddaughter Arabella Kushner (second from right) and son-in-law Jared Kushner (right)
There were still some empty seats as the national anthem was sung just minutes before the match – with Trump drawing a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd.
Trump, who was seen arriving at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday after stepping off Air Force One, was spotted inside Arthur Ashe Stadium roughly 40 minutes before the revised start 2:30 start time of Sunday’s final.
Meanwhile, before the match, reports surfaced that the United States Tennis Association had distributed an email to media attending the final, which contained a clear directive.
‘We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showing any disruptions or reactions in response to the president’s attendance in any capacity,’ it read.
