Golf Device Tied To Donald Trump Assassination Attempt Banned By Ryder Cup Ahead Of President's Visit
One item will not be prohibited at the Ryder Cup with Trump's scheduled appearance.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to make an appearance at the 2025 Ryder Cup on Friday, the first day of the three-day event being contested at Bethpage Black in New York. With that comes expected heightened security and safety measures, plus a laundry list of banned items given the President's attendance.
For months, it was expected that President Trump would be on site to witness the opening tee shot of Friday morning's foursomes session. In hopes of not delaying the event from starting as scheduled, the President is now set to arrive later in the day. This decision comes after his appearance at the U.S. Open men's final caused a 30-minute delay to the match.
Donald Trump is set to attend the Ryder Cup on Friday. (Photo by Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images)
Still, the PGA of America, the organizers of the Ryder Cup, issued a statement on Wednesday explaining that spectators should arrive at Bethpage early, as they will go through a security screening and will be "subjected to TSA-style screening points around the clubhouse."
The statement also listed a number of different items that will not be permitted in the first tee grandstand or clubhouse area of the golf course on Friday. Among the prohibited items are large vaping devices, torch-style lighters, large umbrellas, as well as range finders, which will not only be banned from the area around the first tee and clubhouse but everywhere across the golf course.
While it's hard to think of a reason why a regular spectator would want to bring a range finder to the event, other than perhaps using one as makeshift binoculars, the banning of the distance-measuring device is a no-brainer with the President making an appearance.
Thirty minutes before Trump was shot in the ear in the first assassination attempt on his life in July 2024, a counter sniper flagged a suspicious man using a range finder to the U.S. Secret Service before Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Gates are scheduled to open at 5 AM ET on Friday morning, with the first match set to get underway at 7:10 AM.