South Africa's champion golfers visited the White House with their country’s president on Wednesday, hoping to connect with President Trump through his passion for golf.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Trump in the Oval Office, accompanied by Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.Ramaphosa stated thatnother legendary golfer from South Africa, Gary Player, could not attend the meeting. In addition, the leader from South Africa presented a book featuring golf courses from his nation.
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen share close relationship with Trump
In its report, New York Times stated that “Joining the South African delegation alongside the typical assortment of cabinet ministers and other aides will be Ernie Els, the former world No. 1 golfer, and the two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen.”
“They are South African, they know the truth about our country,” Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for Ramaphosa, told the New York Times. “They also have a close relationship with President Trump. Therefore, they’ve been vital in assisting with bridging the gap between the reality in South Africa and President Trump’s own view of the country.”
{{/usCountry}}“They are South African, they know the truth about our country,” Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for Ramaphosa, told the New York Times. “They also have a close relationship with President Trump. Therefore, they’ve been vital in assisting with bridging the gap between the reality in South Africa and President Trump’s own view of the country.”
{{/usCountry}}Trump's fondness for golf is widely recognized, and he often plays at his courses located in Florida, Virginia, and New Jersey. Trump's courses have sponsored LIV Golf events, and he has competed over the years with several professional golfers, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Annika Sorenstam, and Gary Player from South Africa. Trump shared a photo of himself with Els on his Facebook page in 2013.
“Ernie Els and myself at Trump National Doral,” Trump wrote.
What happened during Ramaphosa-Trump meeting? Here's what Ernie Els and Goosen said
Goosen has won the U.S. Open twice. Ernie Els held the number one position in the world rankings for nine weeks and secured four major titles.
During the meeting, Trump asked, “What a group of golfers South Africa’s had. There must be something in the water, right?”
After the meeting deteriorated and became more strained due to Trump’s assertions of “genocide” aimed at white farmers in South Africa, he extended an invitation to Els to speak. The individual from Johannesburg made an appeal to Trump regarding the significance of the relationship.
In a bid to quell tension between Trump and Ramaphosa, Els asserted “two wrongs don't make a right”. “We still want to see our country flourish. We’ve got some great things going on,” he continued. “We need the U.S. to push this thing through… Very important for us to have your support and, you know, get the change we need.”
When Trump asked Goosen to speak, he shared his experiences of growing up in a predominantly rural area of South Africa.
Bringing Els and Goosen to the White House visit reflects Ramaphosa’s efforts to build rapport with Trump amid ongoing tensions.