Historic Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black with Presidential Attendance

Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, N.Y., September 26, 2025

News Summary

The Ryder Cup has made history as President Trump becomes the first sitting U.S. president to attend the tournament at Bethpage Black. The event, which showcases top European and U.S. golfers, has already seen Europe take an early lead of 3-1 in the opening session. With this prestigious course known for its intensity and challenges, fans eagerly anticipate the unique blend of sports and politics unfolding at this biennial competition.

Farmingdale, N.Y. — A presidential first and a dramatic start at Bethpage Black

Golf fans woke up to a headline that feels equal parts history and theater: President Donald Trump will be the first sitting U.S. president to attend the Ryder Cup at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., scheduled for Friday. This is one of those rare sports moments that pulls in politics, pageantry and pure golf drama — and at a course known to bite back.

Big stage, brutal course

The Ryder Cup is back in the U.S. at a venue built to test champions. The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black will be the first time the course will host this prestigious event. The Black Course is known for its difficulty, with a warning sign for highly skilled golfers. If you’ve ever heard a scratch player laugh nervously about Bethpage Black, you know what that means: anything can happen, and every shot matters.

Teams, formats and the scoreboard that matters

The Ryder Cup is a biennial team golf event featuring top European golfers against U.S. golfers. The week’s match play setup is a nail-biting mix of alternate shot and best ball: Match play format includes four foursome (alternate shot) matches and four four-ball (best ball) matches over three days. Points are everything. Europe needs 14 points to retain the Cup, while the U.S. needs 14.5 points to win.

A rocky opening session and quick adjustments

The competition opened with the morning foursomes and the script flipped in a hurry. The 2025 Ryder Cup officially began on September 26, 2025, with the opening foursomes matches. European pairings clicked early: Europe took an early 3-1 lead during the opening session, with the U.S. team struggling during the foursomes format. That morning produced an eye-popping stat. History was made as it was the first time in Ryder Cup history that Europe won three foursomes matches with three or more holes to play in a single session while playing on U.S. soil. The loss forced the U.S. captain into quick fixes; The U.S. team captain, Keegan Bradley, made significant changes to pairings after the unsuccessful morning session.

Presidential pageantry — not a first in spirit, but a first in attendance

Ryder Cup ties to the White House and to presidents are long-standing. Past U.S. presidents have engaged with Ryder Cup teams, including Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. There are several memorable presidential moments in Ryder Cup lore: Bill Clinton hosted the U.S. team at the White House in 1993 before they competed in England, despite some players expressing reluctance due to Clinton’s unpopular tax proposals. That U.S. team went on to a win overseas, and the U.S. team, after visiting Clinton, went on to win the Ryder Cup at The Belfry, marking the last win for the U.S. team on European soil.

The late 1990s brought another charged moment. At the 1999 Ryder Cup, George W. Bush, then governor of Texas, inspired the U.S. team by reading a letter from Alamo commander William Barret Travis prior to their comeback victory. Presidential support didn’t stop there: George H.W. Bush has attended multiple Ryder Cups since his presidency, including being a speaker at the 1997 Ryder Cup in Spain.

Not every invite led to attendance. Barack Obama was invited to the 2012 Ryder Cup but did not attend; he later attended the 2017 Presidents Cup alongside former presidents Bush and Clinton. Still, the presence of a sitting president at the course itself is new territory — and that’s what puts this week at Bethpage in rare company.

Why it matters to fans

For golf nuts, presidential appearances add an extra layer of spectacle, but the competition on the ground is the real draw. Big crowds, a brutally demanding course and momentum swings from match to match make Ryder Cup weeks electric. With Europe taking an early 3-1 lead during the opening session, headlines will burn bright while captains shuffle pairings and players try to flip the script.

This week mixes a historic first in presidential attendance with a classic Ryder Cup recipe: pressure, pride and the sort of momentum swings that rewrite week-long storylines in an afternoon. Expect talk about politics to mingle with analysis of pairings, lineups and who can perform under fire on Bethpage Black.

Bottom line

This Ryder Cup has it all: a difficult course making its Ryder Cup debut, a first-ever presence by a sitting U.S. president, and a scoreboard that demands urgency from the home side. Fans who love drama and strategic match play have a front-row seat for something that will be talked about in golf circles for years.

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Quick reference table

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

HERE Resources

Europe Surprises U.S. in Ryder Cup Foursomes at Bethpage Black
Ben Griffin and Scottie Scheffler Shine at Ryder Cup Prep
Trump Heads to Ryder Cup for Dramatic Golf Comeback
Ryder Cup Future Venues: Adare Manor Leads the Charge
Ryder Cup Returns to Bethpage Black with Rowdy Atmosphere
Ryder Cup Drama Unfolds at Bethpage Black
Unpredictability in Sports: The Biggest Shocks Revealed
Golfers Gather for Charity at Twin Hills Country Club
2025 Ryder Cup Starts at Bethpage Black with Team USA vs. Europe
Ian Poulter Provokes U.S. Golf Fans Ahead of Ryder Cup

Additional Resources

• ESPN: Europe Seizes 3-1 Ryder Cup Lead
• Wikipedia: Ryder Cup
• New York Post: How to Watch Ryder Cup 2025
• Google Search: Ryder Cup 2025
• Fox News: Trump Greets Bryson DeChambeau
• Google Scholar: Ryder Cup
• CBS Sports: Ryder Cup 2025 Live Updates
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Ryder Cup
• North Jersey: Where is Ryder Cup?
• Google News: Ryder Cup 2025

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