Ryder Cup chiefs forced to remove $275 gift from Bethpage Black store due to Donald Trump visit

The Ryder Cup superstore is having to pull its $275 rangefinders off the shelves after they were banned from Bethpage Black due to the visit of Donald Trump.

The president is set to be among the crowd for the opening day of this week's clash between Europe and the USA in New York - just two weeks after the fatal shooting of his ally, Charlie Kirk.

On Wednesday morning, organizers outlined 'enhanced security measures' to deal with Trump's arrival, with rangefinders now among a number of items now barred from the course on Friday.

It comes after reports that a rangefinder was used by Thomas Matthew Crooks prior to the attempted assassination of Trump in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Cops are said to have spotted him using the device to the around 20 minutes before Trump was shot.

Rangefinders are commonly used by golfers to work out the distance between their ball and the hole. And they are among the hundreds of items on sale at Bethpage Black.

Inside the vast superstore, which runs beside the practice range, commemorative Ryder Cup rangefinders are available to buy for $275.

But it was confirmed to Daily Mail Sport that they will not be sold on Friday due to Trump's visit. The rangefinders will then return to the shelves on Saturday.

Organizers have been working with the Secret Service and White House to put together a mammoth security operation for this year's match. It involves drones and bomb-disposal dogs as well as chemical, biological and radiological units.

A string of other items have been banned from 'the first tee grandstand or clubhouse area' on Friday. They include portable folding chairs, torch-style lighters and large vaping devices.

Laptops and tablets are also barred from the course, while the use of umbrellas 'may be restricted in certain areas of the course and main grandstand,' with ponchos 'strongly encouraged'.

Officials also warned fans to expect delays and airport-style security as Bethpage Black braces itself for the president's visit. 

Gates will now open at 5am as the Ryder Cup bids to avoid the chaos of Trump's appearance at the recent US Open men's singles final, which had to be pushed back half an hour amid extra security protocols. 

As Daily Mail Sport revealed on Monday, the president is not expected to arrive at Bethpage until late morning, meaning he will skip the first session and only be in place for the afternoon foursomes. Team Europe's players have been briefed that Trump will not be 'roaming' the course. 

Earlier this week, meanwhile, police chiefs warned that there is an 'increased' risk of someone 'targeting' the Ryder Cup to 'make a statement' in the wake of Kirk's death. The conservative political activist was shot during an event in Utah earlier this month.

'We are planning as if there are threats. We have multiple different layers that someone looking to cause chaos and harm is going to have to get through,' Major Stephen Udice told the BBC. 'We also recognize that this is a target.' 

On Tuesday, meanwhile, Ryan Routh was found guilty of attempting to shoot Trump at a Florida golf course last September.

The 59-year-old was found guilty of charges including the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and several firearm offences.

Trump was playing at one of his courses near Mar-a-Lago when the Secret Service noticed the barrel of a rifle poking out of a bush. An agent fired at Routh, who attempted to flee before being captured.