U.S.. RYDER CUP TEAM EXCITED FOR TRUMP VISIT AS DETAILS EMERGE

The U.S. Ryder Cup team is excited to play in front of President Donald Trump on Friday, as the commander-in-chief’s plans to attend the opening round at Bethpage Black crystallize.

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FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The U.S. Ryder Cup team is excited to play in front of President Donald Trump on Friday, as the commander-in-chief’s plans to attend the opening round at Bethpage Black Golf Course crystallize.

“I’m deeply honored that the president of the United States is going to come support our team at the Ryder Cup,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said Tuesday, pushing back on concerns about Trump’s attendance being a distraction.

Trump is reportedly planning on arriving at the Ryder Cup in the late morning on Friday, and watch the afternoon sessions begin on the first tee, according to The Telegraph, in an effort to prevent security delays for fans (like his presence caused at the US Open) before the opening sessions tee off at 7:10 a.m. ET. 

“We actually won’t be able to delay the tee times because we don’t have the evening,” Ryder Cup director Bryan Karns told Front Office Sports last week. “At Arthur Ashe Stadium, you can flip those lights on, you can go late. Whereas we don’t have that luxury of doing that.”

Presidential Treatment

Bradley said he doesn’t have any plans for Trump to speak with the U.S. team before the Ryder Cup begins, but added, “Having the president there to support you is something that is just absolutely incredible. I’m really grateful to him for doing that for us.”

Patrick Cantlay said Trump’s attendance “should be great,” and Scottie Scheffler signed off on Trump’s visit, too. “To have the president here, it’s been a tough few weeks for our country with some of the stuff that’s been going on, and to have our president here and for us to represent the United States of America, albeit being in a golf tournament, is extremely important for us,” Scheffler said. “And we’re excited to be on home soil with the home crowd, and we’re ready to get this tournament started.”

Even Europe’s captain, Luke Donald, is aware of the gravity of the situation. “Anytime a sitting president wants to come to an event, it just shows how big the Ryder Cup is,” Donald said. “You’ve got to see that as a mark of respect. President Trump is obviously a big supporter of golf, and he knows a lot of the players this week and has met them before. I think you see it as that, as a mark of respect, that a sitting president wants to support an event when he has a very busy schedule. To find time for that shows something.”

- DAVID RUMSEY

TOMMY FLEETWOOD FADES AGAIN WHILE JUSTIN ROSE TAKES $3.6M FEDEX ST. JUDE PAYCHECK

Tommy Fleetwood again fell just short of his first PGA Tour title, finishing tied for third at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The Englishman started the third round leading by one stroke but was unable to avoid being overtaken by Justin Rose and JJ Spaun.

Justin Rose defeated JJ Spaun in a play-off at the FedEx Championship (Getty Images)

Fleetwood carded three birdies and two bogeys on Sunday for a final round score of 69, taking his 72-hole score to 15-under. His three birdies came between holes 12 and 15, when he temporarily regained the lead, but a bogey on the 17th eliminated his chances of challenging for the title in a playoff.

"I'm obviously going to be disappointed," he told the reporters after his final-round performance. "I think -- I said last time, there's a lot of positives to take, as much as I don't really -- I won't feel like that right now. I'm just going to look at what I feel like I could have done and how close it was. You know, we move on. There's another week that's next and I've just got to reflect on today and obviously keep pushing forward and try and put myself in that position again."

This is Fleetwood's sixth third-place finish in his PGA Tour career, with six other second-place finishes. The most recent of these came at the Travelers Championship, when he also lost to Keegan Bradley on the final hole.

Meanwhile, JJ Spaun and Rose finished tied in regulation at 16-under. Spaun fired 5-under for the final round to climb three spots on the leaderboard, while Rose carded three under, to tie for the lead.

The playoff extended to three holes. The Englishman took home his 12th career PGA Tour title, as well as the $3.6 million paycheck reserved for the winner.

"Played unbelievable golf coming down the stretch," Rose told the reporters after winning the event. "I had so much fun with it. 18 was playing perfectly for me today. If I pulled it, I carried it, if I held it up -- I hit a couple good putts in regulation and in the first playoff hole as well. Obviously J.J. dropped a bomb on me, I topped him. It was a lot of fun today."

"That's why I practice. That's why I play. I've been saying for some time now, obviously Augusta, when I bring my best, I know I'm good enough to play and to compete, and to now win against the best players in the world. Very gratifying day for me and a lot of hard work coming to fruition."

With this victory, Rose will climb to fourth in the FedEx Cup rankings, behind only Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, and JJ Spaun. Rose already knows what it's like to win the FedEx Cup, having done so in 2018.

- Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, Newsweek