South African golfing legend Ernie Els has reacted strongly to flak he received from some friends and members of the public for playing a round of golf with controversial American President Donald Trump.
Four-time major winner Els played golf with Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last weekend at Mar-A-Lago Club which left some of his friends and the South African public unimpressed.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal this week ahead of the Genesis Open which started on Thirsday at the Riviera Country Club‚ Els said he caught flak from some of his pals who didn't support the president.
“A lot of my own friends were not for him‚" Els said.
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"They kind of needled me a little bit‚ saying I was a suck-up. I just said‚ 'Go eff yourself. I played with the president and you haven't. You can't please everybody.”
Els‚ who said the discussion never got political‚ added that he accepted the invite out of respect and that it was "almost surreal."
Els‚ a member at the club‚ was asked the night before to join the high-profile foursome by David Trout‚ the club's director of golf‚ who was the fourth member of the group.
Els called Trump "a proper golfer" and said the match‚ which was Els against the other three‚ ended in a tie.
- TMG Digital
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