Trump is being welcomed to Medinah by the PGA Tour, but not by Illinois’s governor.
“Donald Trump has attacked Chicago and Illinois at every turn of his term. He is neither wanted here nor needed here,” Pritzker said in a statement.
The president has not visited the Chicago area publicly since his 2024 election win. He arrives in the wake of Operation Midway Blitz, the administration’s federal immigration enforcement action in the Chicago area, and a threat to deploy the National Guard to the city that was ultimately withdrawn after a series of legal setbacks.
Trump’s own tone has been sunny. Writing on Truth Social, he said he was accepting the honorary chairman role “at the request of the PGA TOUR, and its Great new Commissioner, Brian Rolapp.”
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“This will be a particularly exciting event. Both teams are ‘loaded’ with Talent. I look forward to being there, and greeting all of these fantastic athletes, on both teams,” Trump posted.
He has not said which days he will attend.
A bipartisan chair, taken up again
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp framed the appointment as continuity with previous administrations.
“The Presidents Cup has a proud tradition of engaging world leaders from across the globe and across political lines, and President Trump’s involvement continues that legacy,” Rolapp said in the tour’s announcement on 29 August.
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For Trump it is a second turn in the ceremonial role, after the 2017 edition at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden have all served as honorary chairman during their time in office.
Team rosters set for Medinah
Brandt Snedeker captains a 12-man US team that includes Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas among his six captain’s picks. Geoff Ogilvy leads an international side drawn from every region outside Europe, with Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Sungjae Im and Tom Kim on the roster.
Competitive play opens with five four-ball matches on Thursday 24 September and runs through Sunday singles on 27 September. The tournament has modified its routing for television, with hole No. 5 playing as the opening hole.
A $175m week for the suburbs
Organisers project the tournament will generate roughly $175 million in regional economic impact and draw around 200,000 spectators over the four days of competition, tournament executive director Joie Chitwood III told local reporters.
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“We’re building 560,000 square feet of hospitality structures, which is phenomenal,” Chitwood said.
The centrepiece is a 3,000-seat grandstand overlooking the first tee, which staff expect to be one of the loudest spots on the course.
Heather Larson, president and CEO of Meet Chicago Northwest, estimated hotel revenue alone at $3 million for the northwest suburbs. The previous US-hosted edition, in Charlotte in 2022, generated around $135 million.
Pritzker: ‘He will get on a plane’
“He can leave the country club and explain to Illinoisans why his tariffs have made groceries, electricity, and everything else too damned expensive,” Pritzker said.
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“He will watch golf, he will call our city names, and he will get on a plane,” Pritzker said.
Practice rounds begin at Medinah on 22 September, with the first four-ball session on 24 September.
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