President Donald Trump shared what Tiger Woods told him about Rory McIlroy’s game. The revelation came in a new YouTube video posted by his granddaughter, Kai Trump, who has more than 1.24 million subscribers. The video, titled “Playing Golf with President Donald Trump (My Grandpa),” shows the grandfather-granddaughter duo enjoying a round of golf together.
During the video, Trump recalled Woods’ praise for McIlroy’s conduct.
“Rory has a great swing. Tiger told me Rory was the best driver he’d ever seen. For Tiger to say that, it’s amazing, right? Because Tiger is great at everything. And he said Rory was the best driver he’d ever seen,” Trump said. (from 3:05 p.m.)
Kai agreed, adding:
“I would agree with that, 1000%.”
McIlroy’s statistics support Woods’ observation. He recorded a longest drive of 392 yards, ranked second in average driving distance with 323 yards, and averaged 309.1 yards on all drives, placing him fourth on Tour. In terms of accuracy, he hits 51.24% of fairways, ranking 163rd on Tour.
Tiger Woods, currently inactive on the PGA Tour, has supported McIlroy throughout his career. After McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, Woods congratulated him on X, writing:
“Welcome to the club @McIlroyRory. Completing the grand slam at Augusta is something special. Your determination during this tour and this entire journey has shown, and now you are part of history. Proud of you!”
Woods and McIlroy were seen together at TGL earlier this year. The league will return in early 2026, and both players are expected to compete again.
Tiger Woods undergoes new back surgery
Tiger Woods recently underwent his seventh back surgery, undergoing a disc replacement in his lower spine after suffering pain and reduced mobility. The procedure took place in New York and Woods shared an update on social media saying it was the right decision for his long-term health.
“The scans revealed that I had a collapsed disc at L4/5, disc fragments and a compromised spinal canal. I chose to have my disc replaced yesterday and I already know I made a good decision for my health and my back.” Woods wrote on Saturday.
This is Tiger Woods’ second surgery of the year, following surgery in March following a ruptured left Achilles tendon and his second back surgery in just over a year. The 15-time major champion hasn’t played since his playoff loss at the PNC Championship last season.
He has not said when he plans to return to competition, leaving it unclear whether he will compete in the Hero World Challenge or the PNC Championship in December. Woods has suffered from recurring back problems since 2014, when he underwent his first surgery, which then led to a spinal fusion in 2017.
Edited by Sonali Verma
