It’s been a busy few days for Donald Trump — from renaming significant bodies of water through to keeping us all guessing over his IndyCar race exchange with Melania.
But now the US President has added yet another job to the ever-increasing list, and this one’s led to some far-fetched fears that he might just have placed a ‘curse’ on US sporting events.
Because Trump, who is no stranger to a golf course, has accepted an invite to become Honorary Chairman for the 2026 Presidents Cup — a job which some of his biggest political rivals, from Joe Biden to Barack Obama, have undertaken in the past.
The tournament, which takes place from September 22-27 at Medinah Country Club in Illinois, sees a team of men’s golfers from the US taking on an international team.
Confirming the news on his Truth Social platform he wrote: ‘At the request of the PGA Tour, and its Great new Commissioner, Brian Rolapp, it is my Honor to accept being the Honorary Chairman of the upcoming Presidents Cup, which will take place at the Medinah Country Club in Chicago.
‘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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. See you in Chicago! President DONALD J. TRUMP’.
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said: ‘We are grateful to President Trump for accepting our invitation to serve as Honorary Chairman for the 2026 Presidents Cup.
‘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.’
It’s not the first time Trump has taken the helm, given it normally falls to the head of state of the host country to do so.
Trump was honorary chair at the 2017 tournament in New Jersey, which the US team won by 19 matches to 11.
Similarly, Barack Obama chaired the tournament in 2009 and 2013, Joe Biden took the chair in 2022 and, more recently, Justin Trudeau in 2024 when it was held in Canada.
This time around though, his involvement has led some commentators to suggest that he is bringing the ‘Trump curse’ to the tournament after lending his support to teams in other sports who have gone on to lose.
The President was in the crowd when the New York Knicks lost their only game of the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden in June.
Trump – who was booed by supporters at the basketball match as he appeared on screens saluting the national anthem – watched the Knicks lose 111-115 to the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven tournament.
He also saw the Washington Commanders lose 44-22 to the Detroit Lions during the NFL season in November 2025. And his visit to the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, New York, last year didn’t end well either, with the US team losing three of the first four team matches to Europe.
All of which has led to some folk making some grim predictions on social media about how the Presidents Cup team might fare.
‘First US loss incoming, you saw what happened at Bethpage,’ one person wrote on X, while another added: ‘So international team has a really good chance at winning now’ and a third predicted ‘a guaranteed USA loss’.
Another said: ‘For the first time in decades, the USA will lose. Everything he touches dies.’
Time will tell whether the US Presidents Cup squad can match his own, seemingly untouchable golfing prowess.