IRVINE, Calif. — The biggest save of the World Cup for the U.S. men’s national team might have come from a golf cart dealership owner, according to ESPN.
On an off day last Sunday, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Alejandro Zendejas left the team hotel in Laguna Niguel for pizza. After eating, the trio discovered rideshares could not reach them because a major traffic accident had closed one side of Pacific Coast Highway and halted traffic for hours, according to ESPN.
The players were several miles from the hotel and walking was viewed as impractical, particularly with concerns about Pulisic’s injured calf. “With Christian’s calf, we definitely didn’t want to walk,” McKennie told ESPN, adding that he was the only one in flip-flops and the distance was far.
The group spotted SC Carts, a Dana Point dealership that sells high-end, street-legal golf carts. Owner Cole Schamber said he initially did not recognize the players and realized who they were only after fans began requesting pictures and the players mentioned they played for the U.S. team, ESPN reported.
The players examined models including the Voyager Patriot 6-Seater Lifted LSV and the Bintelli Nexus 6-Seater Lifted LSV, which Schamber called “very solid options.” ESPN noted LSVs are low-speed vehicles that must be registered and typically have maximum speeds of about 25 mph. The shop does not offer rentals, and a purchase would have cost roughly $9,000, Schamber said.
After discussing buying and even the possibility of shipping a cart to Pulisic’s Florida home, Schamber offered a short-term solution: a ride on a new cart he was delivering toward the hotel. Fans who spotted the players briefly blocked traffic to take pictures before the players jumped into the cart, according to ESPN.
