Golfer Rory McIlroy apparently has been taking some heat for teeing up with President Donald Trump last weekend at Trump International Golf Club.
McIlroy, currently the PGA Tour's third-ranked player in the world, issued a statement on Twitter this afternoon that suggests he's been "called a fascist and a bigot" for hitting the links with Trump.
McIlroy is a native of Northern Ireland who has a home in Palm Beach Gardens. He told The Palm Beach Post last year he wasn't enthusiastic about the 2016 presidential field.
Today, McIlroy told his more than 3 million Twitter followers that playing with Trump "wasn't an endorsement nor a political statement of any kind. It was, quite simply, a round of golf."
Here’s McIlroy’s entire statement:
"I don't agree with everything my friends or family say or do, but I still play golf with them. Last week, I was invited to play golf with the President of the United States. Whether you respect the person who holds that position or not, you respect the office that he holds. This wasn't an endorsement nor a political statement of any kind. It was, quite simply, a round of golf. Golf was our common ground, nothing else. I've travelled all over the world and have been fortunate enough to befriend people from many different countries, beliefs and cultures. To be called a fascist and a bigot by some people because I spent time in someone's company is just ridiculous. I hope, to some degree, this clarifies my decision to accept the invitation that was extended to me. Thanks to everyone for your continued support and I look forward to making my comeback in Mexico next week."
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