Scottie Scheffler reveals Donald Trump texts with USA Ryder Cup stars buzzing

Scottie Scheffler has revealde he receives calls and messages of congratulations from Donald Trump whenever he claims victory at golf tournaments. The world No. 1 anticipated Team USA will "hear from him this week" if they maintain their lead when he takes to the course on the opening day of the Ryder Cup on Friday.

Xander Schauffele yesterday insisted "gladiator golfer" Bryson DeChambeau can galvanise the American team this week. However, the most prominent figure at golf's premier spectacle is expected to be the US president - and Scheffler is thrilled Trump will serve as chief supporter. "I think our team as a whole, we're very proud to be Americans," said the Open champion.

"I think the flag means a lot to us. Being here in New York I think is very special as well. And to have the president here, it's been a tough few weeks for our country with some of the stuff that's been going on, is extremely important for us and we're excited to be on home soil with the home crowd and we're ready to get this tournament started."

President Trump was present when Chelsea were awarded the FIFA Club World Cup at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in July and he spoke to the New York Yankees at a recent home fixture. Yet the 79-year-old's sporting passion remains golf, boasting an official handicap of 2.8 - the most impressive of any US president.

Jack Nicklaus previously declared that Trump adores golf "more than he loves money". Scheffler remarked: "The president is kind of funny. He loves the game of golf, he loves supporting golfers, and I get a call or a text from him sometimes after wins. He just loves the game of golf, and he's one of those guys when you're around him, he does such a good job of feeding confidence into everybody around him.

"That was one of the things I noticed a lot with the little bit of time I spent with him, is he treats everybody the same and treats people with the utmost respect. I don't think he has any plans to address us as a team, but I'm sure if things go well, we'll hear from him this week. What does he say when he calls me? 'Great job!'"

Despite Rory McIlroy's claim that "I think the only way he gets attention is by mentioning other people," DeChambeau remains a significant figure here. The LIV Golf star has pledged to bring "a lot of energy and a tsunami of a crowd" to Long Island this week.

And world No. 4 Schauffele said: "I feel like Bryson could be like the difference for us in a strange way from the standpoint of feeding into these fans, the style of golf he plays. If he views himself as a gladiator golfer, this is as good as it gets. He's been awesome in the team room.

"I'm excited to see what he can do, and hopefully get a lot of points up on the board because his points might hit harder than maybe my points, for example, just because of how he might celebrate and get these fans into this tournament quickly."