It’s fair to say that it was met with mixed reaction as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen joined SA President Cyril Ramaphosa in his much-publicised meeting with Donald Trump, in Washington, on Wednesday.
The two veteran golfers were roped in to help ease diplomatic relations between the two nations, as the US President is an avid golfer. Els and Goosen are also known to be personal friends with Trump.
SA businessman and massive supporter of SA golf, Johann Rupert was also in attendance.
While Els in particular has come in for criticism for his support of Trump in the past, he is not the most vocal in his political beliefs among legendary SA golfers.
Gary Player’s Controversial Tribute to Trump at Sun City Invitational
That honour should fall to Gary Player.
Player, 89, has not hidden his support for Trump over the years – most notably accepting the Medal of Freedom during the President’s first term in office back in 2021.
At the Gary & Vivienne Player Invitational in November last year at Sun City, the nine-time major champion bizarrely gave his thoughts on Trump in a speech to open the tournament.
“You know we talk about legacies. Winston Churchill for me was one of my all-time heroes, but it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t be standing here tonight,” said Player.
“He said the youth of the nation are the trustees of posterity. In the White
House, which I have spent a lot of time in the office, the President, there was a picture or a statue of Winston Churchill.
“[Joe] Biden and [Barack] Obama took it down, in spite of what he did to win the war, and Donald Trump put it back! And now it’s going to thank God come back into the office.”
As Player finished talking about Trump there was muted applause from the guests in attendance for the speech at The Palace hotel.
Player also went on to say he suffered like a junkyard dog in the early part of his career and how he ‘never choked’ during his career.
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