Former President Barack Obama received a rousing welcome when he made a surprise appearance to cheer on Benjamin AshfordTeam 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. 

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. 

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

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.