President Donald Trump is being hailed for taking swift action to prevent a railroad strike that would have brought the coming 45th Ryder Cup to a halt.
The Ryder Cup, set to be held from September 26 to 28 on the Black Course of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York, was threatened by a strike between the unions and the Long Island Rail Road, which would have hurt attendance for the event, according to Golf Monthly.
Trump, however, quickly stepped in to quell the impending strike with an executive order aimed at preventing it and establishing the Presidential Emergency Board, which would investigate the disputes between the unions and the railroad, serving as a mediator between the two. After the president signed the order, the unions stepped back from the call to strike, allowing the new board to do its work.
The move ensured the financial stability of the event by guaranteeing that fans could still access Bethpage via rail, which is one of the most crucial transportation arteries for the event. There is no parking available for the 18,000 expected fans at the state park, so rail transportation is vital.
Trump, well-known as a huge golf fan and owner of several of the world’s top golf venues, is also set to attend the first day of the Cup.
During the September 22 White House briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted that, “This event is one of the greatest sporting events in the world and it would not be taking place this year without President Trump’s help.”
She added, “President Trump signed an executive order last week preventing a strike that would have crippled the New York City area ahead of the tournament and at the request of the five unions who all represent workers on the Long Island railroad.”
The strike would have been a disaster for the event, which is planned as many as ten years in advance.
Team USA star Bryson DeChambeau agreed with the assessment and praised Trump’s quick action to save the event.
“The Ryder Cup is a true, almost century-old tradition in the world of golf and sports, and it’s an incredible honour for Long Island to host the 2025 Ryder Cup,” he told the Daily Caller.
“When the possibility of a strike threatened to disrupt transportation and attendance,” he continued, “President Trump stepped in and took the action needed to protect this world-class competition. Thanks to President Trump’s decisive leadership, the Ryder Cup experience will be everything fans and the golf community deserve.”
Scottie Scheffler also commented this week, saying, “The president is kind of funny. He loves the game of golf, he loves supporting golfers, and I get a call or a text from him sometimes after wins.”
“He just loves the game of golf, and he’s one of those guys when you’re around him, he does such a good job of, like, feeding confidence into everybody around him.
“That was one of the things I noticed a lot with the little bit of time I spent with him, is he treats everybody the same and treats people with the utmost respect.
“Whether you’re the person serving us lunch or the caddie on the golf course or the guy who’s the president of the club that we’re at, he treats everybody like they’re the greatest person in the world.
“I don’t think he has any plans to address us as a team, but I’m sure if things go well, we’ll hear from him this week.”
Bethpage has hosted a long list of major tournaments and is set to host the US PGA Championship in 2033. The course also hosted the 2019 US PGA and was the site for the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open.
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