Trump Hands Lowry His Trophy And Steals a Bit of the Spotlight
There's rarely a dull moment when Donald Trump shows up at a sporting event, and Sunday's Irish Open was no exception. The 80-year-old made his way onto the 18th green at his own Doonbeg course to present Shane Lowry with the winner's trophy, and the crowd's reaction was a real mixed bag part cheering, part booing, with chants of "USA" thrown in for good measure. Trump, ever the showman, threw up a fist pump as the chants rang out.
A Dominant Win for Lowry
Let's not lose sight of the real story here: Lowry played some phenomenal golf. He closed out the tournament at 23-under-par across four rounds, absolutely running away with it an 11-shot margin over the tied-for-second finishers, Patrick Reed and Joaquin Niemann. For the 39-year-old Irishman, it marked his first individual title in four years, and doing it on home turf made the moment even sweeter.
Trump Takes the Stage
After Lowry's win was official, Trump made his way over, lifted the crystal trophy from its display stand, and handed it over with a handshake. While there were scattered boos mixed in, the overall mood from the gallery skewed friendly.
Trump then took a moment to speak to the crowd, and he didn't skimp on the compliments. He explained that he'd actually planned on leaving that morning but decided to stick around after watching some of Lowry's play the night before specifically a run of nine consecutive putts that apparently impressed him enough to change his plans entirely.
"I went back last night, and I was watching some of the news. And they were showing him make nine putts in a row, and I thought that was his best stuff over the years," Trump said, adding that Lowry's ball-striking was also on point throughout the week.
He also touched on a more personal note, mentioning he'd spent time with Lowry and Rory McIlroy, among others the evening before, praising Lowry's "infectious personality" and recalling how he'd told the group he was scrapping his travel plans just to watch the finish live.
Not the First Time Trump Has Lingered on the Podium
This wasn't the first instance of Trump making himself part of a trophy celebration rather than stepping back. Back in the summer, he drew plenty of criticism online for staying on stage during Spain's World Cup final win over Argentina. He walked out alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino to a mix of boos, then presented medals and the trophy to Spain's squad, captained by Rodri.
Rather than stepping aside so the team could soak in their moment, Trump stayed put even as Infantino reportedly tried, unsuccessfully, to usher him off the platform. Trump kept clapping alongside the players near the edge of the stage before eventually moving a short distance away.
A similar scene played out the previous July, when Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. Trump stuck around for the trophy lift that time too, catching Chelsea's players off guard. Captain Reece James later admitted he'd been told Trump would present the trophy and then head off stage but that's not quite how it played out.
"He just congratulated me and the team for lifting the trophy and told us to enjoy the moment," James told reporters, adding that he was "a bit confused" by the unexpected change of plans.
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer echoed that sentiment, saying he knew Trump would be in attendance but hadn't expected him to still be standing there when the team lifted the trophy.
The Bigger Picture
Whether it's golf in Ireland or football finals on the world stage, Trump's habit of staying front and center during these moments has become something of a recurring storyline. For Lowry, though, Sunday was about the golf and on that front, there's no denying he delivered one of the most complete performances of his career.
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