(AFP) – US President Donald Trump said he was heading to the Ryder Cup on Friday to boost America’s fortunes after their worst-ever home start to the golf showdown with Europe. As golf-mad Trump touched down on Air Force One near the Bethpage Black course, the Europeans had taken a 3-0 lead for the first time ever on US soil.
“The team is not doing so well. So, when I heard that, I said ‘let’s get on the plane. We have to fly and help them,'” Trump told reporters as he landed. “We’ve lost three matches and they’re tied in one. So that’s not so well, but we’ll get it done — one way or another we’ll get it done.”
In fact, Trump’s visit to the golf club near New York City had been planned for weeks. It’s the latest in a series of presidential appearances at major sports events this year, including the Super Bowl, the US Open men’s tennis final, and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July.
But the 79-year-old Trump, who plays golf almost every weekend, will still hope that his presence can spur a US recovery in the fiercely-contested biennial tournament. He fired up the crowd even before his arrival as Air Force One flew low over the course, sparking cheers of “USA! USA!” from supporters on the ground.
Before the tee-off, US star Bryson DeChambeau had said that the Republican’s presence “will inspire us to victory” and be a “great force for us to get a lot of people on our side.” Trump, meanwhile, appeared to have come equipped in case the US Ryder Cup team needed a last-minute addition to the squad. As he left the White House alongside his granddaughter Kai, herself a competitive golfer, the president was wearing a pair of white golf shoes along with his suit.
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