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Trump hails Tour players as 'fantastic people' during Skins Game appearance

Leon Neal / Getty Images News / Getty

It's no secret U.S. President Donald Trump is a huge golf fan, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that he joined the sport's first live broadcast since March 12 on Sunday.

Trump called in to chat with host Mike Tirico during the Driving Relief Skins Game at Seminole Golf Club featuring Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson against Matthew Wolff and Rickie Fowler.

The PGA Tour has been on hiatus since the opening round of the Players Championship due to the coronavirus. Trump said Sunday's event, held to raise millions of dollars for pandemic relief, was right in line with his past experiences with Tour players.

"I know so many of the Tour players and they're really fantastic people," Trump said, according to Dylan Dethier of Golf.com. "I can't think of anyone I don't like. I can't say that necessarily in life, but when you meet these Tour players, they're just great people, it's something very special."

McIlroy made news earlier this week when he said he "probably wouldn't" play golf with Trump again, criticizing his response to the pandemic. Tirico made mention of McIlroy's comments and asked Trump what he thought of players avoiding public political involvement.

"A lot of them are very political actually," he responded. "Some like my politics very much and some don't. I guess the ones that don't, I don't get to see as much."

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