Rory McIlroy attends state dinner after snubbing | Golf News

Rory McIlroy was among the visitors invited to Tuesday’s state dinner at the White House, held during King Charles III’s four-day official go to to the United States.

Just hours after Charles addressed a joint assembly of Congress, the British monarch and Queen Camilla had been honored at a state dinner hosted by President Donald Trump and first woman Melania Trump. McIlroy — who won’t be current when the PGA Tour heads to Trump National Doral — and his spouse, Erica, had been among those invited to the celebrated event.

It did not take long for Trump to single out the Northern Irish golfer while addressing the assembled visitors forward of dinner.

In the midst of remarks celebrating the enduring alliance between the United States and the United Kingdom, Trump abruptly shifted gears to honor McIlroy’s current triumph at the Masters.

“This unconquerable courage, it really is, it’s unconquerable. Speaking of that, where’s Rory McIlroy. Stand up Rory, will you please. That was unconquerable courage,” Trump ad-libbed. “That was very good, Rory. I don’t know if that helps, talk about how wonderful in the speech, but I had to interrupt my speech, because I watched that man win a tournament, that was a tough, that was a tough one. Congratulations, very proud of you. All right, now I’ll get back to my speech, Rory.”

The three-course state dinner menu almost put McIlroy’s 2026 Masters Champions Dinner menu to disgrace, opening with a delicate garden herb veloute, silken and fragrant, alongside a hearts of palm salad, completed with crisp toasted shallots and micro mint.

The centerpiece of the meal featured handcrafted spring herb ravioli, ready utilizing herbs sourced straight from the White House Kitchen Garden, alongside a traditional dover sole meuniere. To spherical off the night, visitors had been handled to a beehive-shaped chocolate gateau showcasing a vanilla bean cremeux custard and almond joconde, accompanied by creme fraiche ice cream and honey.

A fastidiously chosen trio of wines was chosen to honor the enduring bond between the U.S. and the U.Ok., while navy musicians representing the Marines, Army, and Air Force delivered the night’s leisure.

Given his invitation to the state dinner, it seems relations between McIlroy and Trump stay cordial, despite the Northern Irishman’s selection to withdraw from the Cadillac Championship. The Signature Event represents the first event in a decade that Trump National Doral has hosted a PGA Tour event.

The iconic Blue Monster course welcomed top-tier golf competitors for more than 50 years, including the Doral Open (1962–2006) and the WGC-Cadillac Championship (2007–2016). Fresh off rising victorious at Augusta for a second consecutive 12 months, McIlroy confirmed he could be stepping away briefly from elite competitors. His resolution got here as little shock, with the PGA Tour schedule at present navigating a grueling six-week stretch between the Masters and the PGA Championship.

Nestled between the 2 majors are three signature occasions — the RBC Heritage, the Cadillac Championship and the Truist Championship — along with stops at a number of demanding programs, including Trump National Doral and Quail Hollow.

In an effort to keep away from the burnout that plagued him last season, McIlroy selected to step back from golf to recharge and return refreshed for the Truist Championship on May 6. “I’ve waited so long to win the Masters, and all of a sudden I win two in a row,” he said.

“So I still want to enjoy it. I’ve got a couple of weeks off before I go back to play competitive golf, but I don’t think I’ll go through that lull of motivation or the sort of things that I was feeling last year post-winning this tournament.”