2 weeks ago
8
Ernie Els went to Washington to effort to triumph different elder large and wound up successful the White House connected Wednesday astatine the invitation of South Africa's president, who is pushing backmost against President Donald Trump's baseless claims of systematic sidesplitting of achromatic farmers successful the country.
Els and Retief Goosen, some Hall of Fame players who person combined to triumph six U.S. Open titles, were portion of the delegation with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Trump had already chopped each U.S. assistance to South Africa and welcomed respective twelve achromatic South African farmers to the U.S. arsenic refugees arsenic helium pressed the lawsuit that a “genocide” is underway successful the country.
He has launched a bid of accusations astatine South Africa’s Black-led government, claiming it is seizing onshore from achromatic farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American overseas policy.
Experts successful South Africa accidental determination is nary grounds of whites being targeted for their race, though farmers of each races are victims of convulsive location invasions successful a state that suffers from a precise precocious transgression rate.
Trump, who developed high-end play courses earlier entering politics, is astatine easiness among immoderate of the game's greats from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods. He archetypal played play with Els, who lives successful southbound Florida, 8 years ago.
“When I spoke to you, you said, ‘Yes, travel on and bring Gary Player and Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.’ I brought the 2 of them,” Ramaphosa said.
He said helium spoke with Player, who turns 90 successful November, and Player said helium was getting successful connected years but wished them luck successful the discussion. Trump awarded Player the Presidential Medal of Freedom connected Jan. 7, 2021, 1 time aft pro-Trump rioters attacked the White House.
“We're arrogant South Africans," Els said erstwhile Trump asked him to speak. "We privation to spot things get amended successful our location country. That's the bottommost line. It's been 35 years since the modulation (from apartheid).
“I cognize there's a batch of choler done the transition, a batch of worldly happening successful apartheid days. We grew up successful the apartheid era. But I don't deliberation 2 wrongs marque a right.”
Els said Nelson Mandela “didn't travel retired with hatred” erstwhile helium was freed aft 27 years successful prison, alternatively moving to unify South Africa done athletics aft being elected president successful 1994. He cited the World Cup of Rugby successful 1995, winning the African Nations successful shot and a fewer play majors.
Els won 4 majors, 2 each astatine the U.S. Open and British Open. Goosen, who recovered from being struck by lightning, won 2 U.S. Opens.
Both were successful Washington for the Senior PGA Championship, which starts Thursday astatine Congressional Country Club crossed the Potomac River successful Bethesda, Maryland.
“What I'm trying to accidental is this has been a agelong clip coming. That's wherefore we truly wanted to conscionable you and spot our mode forward,” Els said. “We inactive privation to spot our state flourish. ... There's a batch of co-existence going on, but we request the U.S. to propulsion this happening through."
Goosen, whose begetter was a spot developer and a part-time farmer, grew up successful what present is Polokwane. He said his member is inactive moving the workplace but “it's a changeless conflict with ... them trying to pain the workplace down to pursuit you away.”
“It is simply a interest to effort to marque a surviving arsenic a farmer,” helium said.
Els, known arsenic the “Big Easy” for his fluid swing, archetypal played play with Trump successful 2017 during his archetypal word successful office.
“We didn't speech authorities due to the fact that I'm not a antheral who tin formed a vote,” Els told The Associated Press that year. “Whether you hold oregon not, I felt it was a work to play with the president erstwhile you get the call. It's fundamentally honoring what the United States has done for maine and my family.”
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
English (US) ·