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. Air Force One flew low over Trump International Doonbeg while McIlroy was searching. Cameras captured the unusual moment, and it quickly became one of the day’s main talking points.
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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.” Two people had captured the same unusual moment as McIlroy’s round continued.
Air Force One was near the golf course because President Donald Trump was visiting Ireland on September 12. He first attended events in Dublin before traveling to County Clare. His destination was Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, the golf resort he owns. The course was also hosting the Irish Open from September 10 to 13, making the tournament different from a normal week. Organisers anticipated Trump’s arrival at the course during the event, prompting them to implement additional security measures.
Irish police prepared over 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.
McIlroy arrived at Doonbeg as the defending champion, looking for his third Irish Open title, but had a tough start.
McIlroy made two early birdies and was 2-under at the turn, but a double bogey on the 13th hurt his score. He later made a birdie and finished with a 1-under 69 after a round that lasted almost six hours. Plus, strong winds and slow play made his opening round difficult. McIlroy finished four shots behind Joaquin Niemann, who led with a course-record 65.
Day 2 was no better. McIlroy again shot a 1-under 69, putting him at 2-under after 36 holes. Shane Lowry, however, shot a brilliant course-record 62 to reach 11-under and take a three-shot lead. That left McIlroy nine shots behind Lowry going into the weekend.
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. The security operation was especially difficult because of Doonbeg’s remote location. Police also used equipment to block drone signals, while U.S. military helicopters brought equipment to the area.