They were supposed to be Cyril Ramaphosa’s secret weapon when it came to resetting South Africa’s fractured relationship with Donald Trump.

How could the US president resist a two-pronged charm offensive from some of the country’s top golfers?

Mr Ramaphosa, also armed with a golfing book and tales of his improved swing, was surely hoping that his highly-anticipated Oval Office meeting would at least get off to a good start.

Officials in the country were said to be so nervous about the diplomatic engagement becoming a repeat of Vlodomyr Zelensky’s disastrous White House meeting that they considered telling him not to come.

But ultimately, as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the Oval Office, just to the side of their country’s president, they provided little cover for Mr Ramaphosa from Mr Trump’s ambush.

The South African delegation – including the two sports stars – watched in uncomfortable silence as Mr Trump’s team played them a montage of clips of what they claimed evidenced South Africa’s discrimination against white people.

Mr Trump’s views on South Africa and his obsession with the fate of its white farmers are said to have first been formed by his close relationships with one of the country’s top golfers, Gary Player.

The US president’s concern over the issue has tanked relations with the country since he returned to office, which culminated in Mr Trump’s uncomfortable confrontation with Mr Ramaphosa on Wednesday.

While Mr Ramaphosa’s attempt to placate Mr Trump by enlisting top golfers to charm him was understandable, it did not appear to pay off.

Els, a former world number one known as “The Big Easy”, is friends with both leaders, and has played rounds of golf with Mr Trump.