Rory McIlroy was doing something very normal for a golfer. The Ulsterman was looking for his golf ball in the rough near the third hole during the third round of the Irish Open. But suddenly, the surrounding scene became anything but normal.
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Air Force One flew low over Trump International Doonbeg while McIlroy was searching for his golf ball at Doonbeg. Broadcaster Ruth Gorman shared a video of the moment on Twitter/X and wrote, “Air Force One made a low-level flyover at the Trump International links course” while McIlroy was looking for his ball on the third hole. Journalist Maurice Brosnan also noticed the strange timing. He wrote, “Mad. As Rory McIlroy looks for his ball and Doonbeg prepares for Trump’s arrival, a flyover.”
The third hole, as reported by the Irish Times, provided the best viewing experience because of the helipad on the adjacent field. McIlroy hit a provisional and eventually carded a double bogey. The Ulsterman, who was to attend dinner with POTUS on Saturday night, was asked point-blank to describe his experience on the third hole.
“Yeah, I mean, quite the, um, I guess not the experience we’re used to in a way. I think it’s Air Force One’s maiden voyage, I think. So that was pretty cool. Cool to sort of see all that going on. I was trying to avoid making doubles at that point, so I was trying to concentrate on my own stuff as well.”
McIlroy swatted away any suggestion that it affected his game, saying he was used to seeing it all the time in Palm Beach. Fellow Irishman, Shane Lowry, however, had a chuckle.
Lowry was seen looking at the Chinook helicopters flying overhead while waiting on the fairway. According to the Irish Mirror, he consulted with the rules official on whether it’s necessary to halt play. Lowry was leading the tournament at that point.
Brooks Koepka, who exchanged a few words with Trump as he arrived, found it pretty entertaining.
“Yeah, yeah, it’s always an entrance. It’s pretty cool,” he said. “I don’t know how many times you see it, you’ll never get tired of it. It’s awesome. It’s so cool to see.”
President Donald Trump attended events in Dublin before traveling to County Clare. His destination was Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, the golf resort he owns and which is hosting the Irish Open this week.
Organizers anticipated Trump’s arrival at the course during the event, prompting them to implement additional security measures. Irish police scheduled more than 10,000 12-hour shifts between Friday and Sunday. Officials implemented airport-style security checks for spectators before they entered the course and also set up road closures and shuttle services around Doonbeg.
McIlroy had already expected some changes because of Trump’s visit. Before the tournament, he said there would be logistical challenges, varying crowd numbers, and extra restrictions, but added that the players would remain focused on their golf. On Saturday, those unusual conditions became part of McIlroy’s round.
According to a report in the Irish Mirror, the marshal assigned to Rory McIlroy’s group was stuck for some time due to a cavalcade of 30 vehicles. A spectator was hit in the back because she couldn’t hear the yell ‘Fore!’ from golfer Joe Dean on the third hole.
Robert MacIntyre, who birdied the third hole, joked, “Must be a sweet spot up there [to see the Air Force One landing].”
Construction crews built a special helipad near the course for Marine One, the helicopter used by the U.S. president. They also expected play to stop when Trump arrived, and it did pause briefly during the third round, as some golfers took out their phones to capture the moment.
Donald Trump will watch the final round of the Irish Open and will reportedly present the trophy to the winner.