Former President Barack Obama surprises Team USA at Solheim Cup

carrie mcdonald , usa today

Fri, 13 Sept 2024, 3:53 pm·1-min read

Former President Barack Obama received a rousing welcome when he made a surprise appearance to cheer on Team USA as it teed off against Europe on the first day of the Solheim Cup in Gainesville, Virginia.

The Solheim Cup is a biennial competition between the best women’s golfers in the U.S. and Europe. This year’s competition began Friday morning and will last through the singles round Sunday. The U.S. is seeking its first Solheim Cup win since 2017.

Team USA, captained by Stacy Lewis, features prominent players such as Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Allisen Corpuz and Rose Zhang.

Sep 13, 2024; Gainesville, Virginia, USA; Former President Barack Obama watches from the first tee during Foursomes matches between Team Europe and Team USA during the first round of the Solheim Cup 2024 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Obama is a well-known golf fan and played the sport throughout his presidency. The Solheim Cup is being held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, of which Obama is a member.

Introducing @SolheimCupUSA's biggest fan: @BarackObama 💪 pic.twitter.com/AsHgVftPCd
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 13, 2024

Obama had previously surprised Team USA at a team dinner Monday.

President @BarackObama surprised the @SolheimCupUSA team at dinner to wish them good luck at @TheSolheimCup this week! 🇺🇸👏 pic.twitter.com/YDEkZpUOc1
— LPGA (@LPGA) September 9, 2024

The American women won the Friday morning Foursomes (alternate shot) session 3-1, though they still have a Friday afternoon session, two sessions on Saturday and a final singles round Sunday left to contest.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former President Barack Obama at Solheim Cup to surprise Team USA