US and Japanese leaders joined by world No 4 Hideki Matsuyama for nine holes as Abe pushes nations’ ‘unshakeable’ alliance

Donald Trump managed to stay out of the diplomatic rough on the first leg of his five-nation visit to Asia. Whether or not he repeated the feat during an afternoon round of golf with Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, on Sunday is less clear.

The leaders were joined at the Kasumigaseki country club – no longer a bastion of sexism – by Japan’s best professional golfer, Hideki Matsuyama, but did not keep score, according to officials, and the media were not privy to their exertions on the fairways.

After embarking on their golf diplomacy, accompanied by former world No 1 Ernie Els, in Palm Beach earlier this year, Trump and Abe were at pains to put on a united front, putting to one side potential hazards lying in wait for the president in South Korea, China and South-east Asia.

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From the moment Trump arrived at Yokota airbase, Abe pushed the symbolism behind their countries’ “unshakeable” alliance, and went out of his way to accommodate his picky guest. Sushi was kept off the lunch menu, Trump having given a colourful verdict on the Japanese dish in the book Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J Trump. Instead, they dined on hamburgers – made with American beef – accompanied by what looked like glasses of cola.

They held up white baseball caps bearing the message “Donald and Shinzo Make Alliance Even Greater”, a clear nod to Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan. There was only one slightly awkward moment – a clumsy fist-bump at the start of their nine holes of golf.

Although Trump is said to be the better golfer, Abe has taken their shared love of the sport the furthest since he presented the then president-elect with a gold-plated driver in their first meeting in New York a year ago.

Trump, whose honesty on the golf course has been questioned, couldn’t resist a self-regarding comment on the plane to Japan when, lauding Matsuyama’s driving prowess, he reminded reporters that he, too, hits the ball “pretty long”. He did, however, concede that the Japanese player was likely to out-distance him at the tee-off. “If I come back and say I was longer than him, don’t believe it.”

Abe tweeted:

安倍晋三 (@AbeShinzo) 素晴らしい友人とのゴルフ。会話も弾みます。

A round of golf with a marvelous friend (President Donald J. Trump), full of spirited conversation. @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/ZpMrWeWudW

Trump posted a short video clip of himself:

Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Playing golf with Prime Minister Abe and Hideki Matsuyama, two wonderful people! pic.twitter.com/vYLULe0o2K

“Golf clubs are where we can both relax and share our real feelings, and we took our time having a frank talk about all sorts of difficult topics,” Abe said. “I think President Trump enjoyed it very much. I had a very good time, too.”

The red carpet treatment appeared to have had the desired effect as Trump and Abe prepared for a casual teppanyaki dinner – again featuring beef, only this time from the Tajima region of Japan – and a performance of the viral hit Pen-Pineapple-Apple Pen.

“The relationship is really extraordinary. We like each other and our countries like each other,” Trump said. “And I don’t think we’ve ever been closer to Japan than we are right now.”

His next two destinations – South Korea and China – are expected to pose bigger challenges on the two defining issues of the trip: North Korea and trade.

It remains to be seen if Matsuyama, who had humbly speculated that he might not be “good enough” to play golf with Trump, has set himself up for the same ribbing Els received after he escorted Abe and Trump around the president’s course in Florida in February.

If he does, the mild-mannered world No 4 is unlikely to react in the same way as the South African, who told the Wall Street Journal: “A lot of my own friends were not for him. They kind of needled me a little bit, saying I was a suck-up. I just said, ‘Go eff yourself. I played with the president and you haven’t.’”