2 Jun 2009

Obama takes up Presidents Cup role

11:28 am on 2 June 2009

US President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation to be honorary chairman of this year's Presidents Cup golf tournament.

Obama, an avid basketball player who enjoys the occasional round of golf, will fulfil the role when the biennial team competition takes place at San Francisco's Harding Park Golf Course in October.

As the eighth head of state to serve in the role, President Obama continues a long tradition of support and leadership dating back to the first Presidents Cup in 1994.

The Presidents Cup is a Ryder Cup-style competition which pits a US team against a line-up of International players from countries outside Europe.

The US won the trophy in 2007 for the fifth time in seven editions.