The Rose Garden ceremony also publicly rewarded a prominent athlete whose relationship with the president stands in contrast to that of African-American sports superstars like LeBron James and Stephen Curry who have staked out public stances against Mr. Trump. During Monday’s ceremony, Mr. Woods received a standing ovation and thanked the president for the honor before thanking his mother, Kultida, and his children, Sam and Charlie. Erica Herman, Mr. Woods’s girlfriend, and Joe LaCava, his longtime caddie, were also in the audience. “This has been an unbelievable experience,” Mr. Woods told the group of family, friends and supporters, which included Mr. Trump and much of his cabinet. But unlike his predecessors, Mr. Trump has been upfront about rewarding people he feels have enthusiastically supported him.

Source: New York Times May 07, 2019 01:41 UTC