"He's hosting a party for our Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his wife and I'm a guest," said Ireland's three-time major champion, who the following day will be competing at the Transitions Championship in Florida.

"I'm looking forward to it - it's something different. Obviously President Obama is one of the most charismatic people in the world, one of the most powerful people in the world. You want to meet these people and see what they are like and get your own judgment on things. You can tell a lot when you meet somebody."

He added: "Plus I've never been to the White House.

"I won't say it's perfectly convenient, but I'm in the States and I can fly up and down in the same day. Very nice.

"Obviously he is very keen on golf. He's a left-hander, isn't he? I don't know, maybe we will talk about golf. Who knows?

"I've got a week to come up with something interesting (to ask). I'm sure everything's been asked before."