Chaos at Trump DC Course

The battle over East Potomac Golf Links took another twist. A federal judge halted all work at the Golden Age gem in Washington, D.C., on Monday after the Trump administration cut down hundreds of trees over the weekend. The administration took over the municipal course this spring from the National Links Trust and plans an estimated $20 million to $49 million conversion into an 18-hole championship that President Trump believes will host major championships or the Ryder Cup without congressional approval. (Golf Digest has previously written a longform about the controversy, which you can read here.)

In July, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes let initial construction start on one condition: the government had to give advance notice of major projects, including any removal of more than 10 trees. At 4:55 p.m. Friday, the government filed notice that it would remove 169 trees on Saturday and 90 more later. Reports then said crews from the National Park Service felled as many as 529 trees in a single day. At Monday’s hearing, a government lawyer acknowledged that at least 430 were cut.

The D.C. Preservation League asked for a 14-day restraining order. Reyes—who reporters noted was often screaming at Trump lawyers after this weekend’s actions—said she had trusted the government and accused it of deliberately delaying notice so it could clear the trees. She ordered all work stopped, including routine maintenance, until at least Tuesday morning. She also threatened contempt for any violation and called Park Service superintendent Kevin Griess to testify. This is one of the more eccentric course stories we’ve seen, and one that doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

Judge goes scorched earth after Trump administration removes at least 430 trees from East Potomac in one weekend

Judge Ana Reyes threatened contempt proceedings in a hearing Monday after Trump lawyers seemingly misled the court.

By Coleman Bentley

What You Need to Know

Alex Myers

A hockey legend's son has earned his first PGA Tour start. Congrats to Austin Lemieux, the son of NHL Hall-of-Famer Mario Lemieux, for Monday qualifying for next week's Butterfield Bermuda Championship. The 30-year-old fired a 66, his dad's old jersey number, to finish tied for second behind PGA Tour winner Adam Long and earn one of four available spots from a field of 68 players. Lemieux, who played collegiately at Arizona State, still plays as an amateur despite being a multiple-time winner on the Minor League Tour in Florida, according to Monday Q Info's Ryan French. Pretty damn cool, indeed.

Tod Leonard

One month after Jon Rahm officially left LIV Golf, he’ll begin his road back to the PGA Tour in the Middle East. Rahm has committed to play in the Abu Dhabi Championship, Nov. 4-8, nearly three years after the two-time major winner bolted for the Saudi-backed circuit on which he earned several hundred million dollars in bonuses and prize money.

Rahm, 31, was banned from the DPWT for refusing to pay fines accrued for his participation in competing events in LIV. He called it “extortion” at one point., But as LIV’s future grew more uncertain, the Spaniard agreed in May to settle the fines and to a stipulation that he play in five events by the end of 2026. Rahm competed twice before his Oct. 7 court announcement about leaving LIV.

Abu Dhabi, featuring a field of the top 70 on the DPWT, marks a truly fresh start, and, barring unforeseen developments, Rahm will need to excel in Europe if he is to return to full-time golf in America. That’s a long shot for 2027. The top 10 finishers in the Order of Merit earn their PGA Tour cards for the next season, and Rahm currently stands at No. 46. He needs to get into the top 50 after Abu Dhabi to reach the DP World Tour Championship, and it looks like he won’t reach the minimum of five events played as he is on paternity leave as he and wife Kelley await the birth of their fourth child. It’s not yet clear was dispensation he’ll receive for that.

Christopher Powers

On Friday, an unflattering story about Keegan Bradley berating a rules official at the Ryder Cup was quickly spreading like wildfire on social media. But before most people could press play on the video clip, which came courtesy of the Musings Golf Podcast, the clip had been scrubbed from the internet.

According to PGA Professional Chandler Withington, the verbal abuse was so bad that the rules official, Jeff Kiddie (also a club pro at Aronimink), vowed never to work a Ryder Cup again.

We discussed this whole saga on this week's episode of The Loop podcast, and much more.

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