Golf fans heading into Medinah Country Club won’t be just walking through the usual tournament gates. With President Trump set to arrive for the Presidents Cup singles session, Course No. 3 has been wrapped in a layer of security rarely seen at a golf event. It seems TSA-style checkpoints are now part of the admission price.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Front office sports reporter David Rumsey laid out how cautious security is: “There will be TSA-style screening checkpoints around the first tee grandstand tomorrow, Medinah, similar to last year at Bethpage when President Trump attended the Ryder Cup.”
For context, President Donald Trump is invited and is serving as honorary chairman for the 2026 Presidents Cup. To welcome him, Club Car has prepared a custom golf cart, but it comes with serious logistics attached.
As for the additional security, screening checkpoints will be added in addition to the event’s regular entrances. Anyone who steps outside the secure perimeter will be needed to re-screen before getting in, as per the reports. Moreover, the President’s Cup official page confirmed as much directly, telling fans to brace for delays. The tournament’s account also posted that spectators are encouraged to arrive as early as possible and should anticipate extra travel time to Medinah Country Club as they plan their day. The Sunday Singles are scheduled at 11 am, with the gates scheduled to open at 8 am. With that in mind, fans are urged to keep personal items to a minimum.
Moreover, the Secret Service has been deployed to prepare for POTUS’s arrival on the ground for several days now. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, PGA Tour, Illinois State Police, and several other local and state law enforcement agencies have also been working on the security planning, much like they do for years now. Secret Service Chicago Special Agent added that the agency is expecting roughly 30,000 fans a day and that a multi-layered security approach kicks in specifically because the president is on site. Regular fans will clear PGA Tour security as usual, but anyone hoping to get near Trump will need to pass through a separate Secret Service checkpoint entirely.
The stakes around presidential golf security have only grown since 2021, as Trump survived two separate security concerns. Since then, his golf outings have become noticeably heavier in protection, including a reinforced cart named Golf Force One that trailed him at Turnberry last year.
How Does Trump’s Visit Stack Up Against Past Presidents’ Cup Traditions?
Presidential involvement in the Presidents Cup goes back to the very first edition. Gerald Ford served as honorary chairman in 1974, and every U.S. president since has taken the role at some point, including George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. Clinton became the first sitting president to actually attend the matches, showing up in 1996 and again in 2000. Trump followed the tradition in 2017 at Liberty National, becoming the first sitting president to present the trophy in person.
That same year produced the event’s most star-studded gathering yet, with three former presidents, including Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama, all together. Obama also remains the only other person to have served as honorary chairman twice, having held the position both in 2009 and in 2013.
What’s different this time is the scale of protection required. Past presidential appearances, even Trump’s own 2017, didn’t involve TSA-style checking points ringing the grandstand. Medinah’s setup now reflects a security climate that has shifted considerably. Rest, Sunday singles remain a much-awaited session.