McIlroy, speaking on the McKellar Golf Podcast, said: "We're in the midst of something that's pretty serious right now.

"He's [Trump] trying to politicise it and make it a campaign rally, saying that [the United States] administers the most tests in the world like it's a contest.

"It's just not the way a leader should act and there is a bit of diplomacy that you need to show, and I just don't think he's shown that, especially in these times."

Trump, when asked about McIlroy's comments, said: "A lot of them [golfers] are very political actually.

"A lot of them like my politics very much and some don't, I guess.

"The ones that don't, I don't get to see as much."

McIlroy had previously been criticised for playing a round of golf with the President in 2017, and has since ruled out a re-match.

He added: "I don't know if he'd want to play with me again after what I just said, but I wouldn't."

Trump, a regular golfer who owns 17 courses, phoned in to coverage of the TaylorMade Driving Relief skins tournament, which has raised more than $5 million (£4.13 million/€4.62 million) for COVID-19 charities.

The competition saw McIlroy pair with American Dustin Johnson against United States pair Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff, with the action at the Seminole Golf Club in Florida in the US.

McIlroy and Johnson raised $2.075 million (£1.71 million/€1.92 million) between them while Fowler and Wolff raised $1.15 million (£949,000/€1.06 million), with the rest made up of viewer donations.

Trump called it "wonderful" to see the likes of McIlroy, a four-time major champion and the current world number one, back playing and said it was important to see the sport back in full action as soon as possible.

He added: "It's a wonderful thing to see, I'm getting a little tired watching 10-year-old golf tournaments where you know who won.

"It's very nice to be watching and very nice to be with you.

"We want to get sports back.

"We miss sports, we need sports in terms of the psyche – the psyche of our country – and that's what we're doing.

"It'll start off with small crowds, if any.

"You saw UFC [Ultimate Fighting Championship] the other night, they had really just a lighted ring in the middle of an empty arena and I'm not sure that so many people missed the fans, I don't think so in that particular case.

"But look, we want to get it back to where it was.

"We want big, big stadiums loaded with people."

The first four events of the postponed PGA Tour will not have fans as golf is set to restart behind closed doors, beginning on June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth in the US.