[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 42 (Monday, October 23, 2000)]
[Pages 2509-2510]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Opening Ceremonies of the 2000 President's Cup in Lake 
Manassas, Virginia

October 18, 2000

    Thank you. Thank you very much, Dan. Governor, Commissioner Finchem, 
Captain Venturi, Captain Thomson, and the American and international 
teams. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin by saying how privileged I 
feel to be the honorary chairman of this tournament and to be here on 
this magnificent fall day at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, where my 
friend Vernon Jordan and I have spent so many happy days playing golf.
    As a gesture of good will, I left my clubs home today. [Laughter] 
Actually, I offered to play on the American team, but when I had to 
confess I have never broken 80 on this course--even from the white 
tees--I was immediately rejected, showing how much the world has changed 
since President Johnson said, ``There's one lesson you better learn if 
you want to be in politics: Never go out on a golf course and beat the 
President.''

[[Page 2510]]

[Laughter] I keep passing that out, even to strangers, and no one takes 
it seriously anymore. [Laughter]
    Let me say to all of you, I love the President's Cup. The greatest 
players from around the world and here in the United States playing for 
sheer love of the game and competition, pride of nation, donating their 
winnings to their favorite charities.
    After this year, the four President's Cup competitions will have 
raised more than $6 million for 100 charities to fund schools and 
hospitals, to fight disease, to teach young people not only the skills 
but the sportsmanship of golf. That is the genius of the President's 
Cup, and I thank all of you who are part of that.
    If I might, I'd also like to say a word in my capacity as Commander 
in Chief of the Armed Forces. I want to thank Captain Venturi and the 
American team members for wearing the black arm bands in honor of those 
who perished aboard the U.S.S. Cole. I spent the morning with the 
families of the fallen and injured sailors and their larger Navy family 
in Norfolk.
    Like the golfers here, they come from many different ethnic and 
religious backgrounds. Like you, they stood for our common humanity and 
those who want to build a world where we bridge our differences and 
celebrate our diversity.
    When you play in this tournament with honor and by the rules, 
respecting the character and ability of your opponents, you show the 
world, including those rooting hard for you, the way we all ought to 
live and work. You offer another rebuke, although gentle and 
gentlemanly, to those who believe our differences are more important 
than our common humanity.
    I ask you to say a little prayer for those folks tonight. This is a 
tough day for them. Almost all those 17 sailors were very young, just 
beginning life's journey. But they were proud of what they did, and what 
they did and what their successors do today is very important. May God 
bless them and their families.
    Now, as the honorary chairman, my first order of business is to 
declare this tournament officially open. Secondly, I have been 
informed--much against my better instincts--to declare this a no-
mulligans zone. [Laughter] Now, I would like to invite the two captains 
up here to join me for a presentation and before the Cup.
    Thank you very much, and God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 4:58 p.m. at the Robert Trent Jones Golf 
Club. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. James S. Gilmore III of 
Virginia; Tim Finchem, commissioner, PGA Tour; Ken Venturi, captain, 
U.S. team, and Peter Thomson, captain, international team; and Vernon 
Jordan, president, Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.