Australian golfing champion Greg Norman says Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and US President Donald Trump had developed "an incredible relationship" after he played a key early role in introducing the pair.
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Mr Turnbull skipped the world leader queue when he spoke to then-President-elect Trump before other world leaders after Norman passed on his golfing mate's personal mobile number soon after his unexpected election victory over Hillary Clinton.
Norman said the two leaders' relationship had started off "a little rocky" but was now "extremely strong", in an interview with ABC's 7.30, aired days before Mr Turnbull is set to meet with Mr Trump in Washington DC.
Norman said he had first met the US President when playing professionally and the former businessman acquired golf courses he designed.
"I played with Donald, the President, excuse me, I played with him quite a few times, and, look, he's very, very passionate about it, he loves his golf," Norman said.
He said the pair stayed in contact and his "good friend", US Ambassador Joe Hockey, asked for President Trump's personal mobile phone number because Mr Turnbull "wanted to reach out and congratulate him".
"I don't normally give out cell phone numbers of people in my database, but considering it was for the Prime Minister to call the President of the United States, I thought that would be the right thing to do. And fortunately, it has turned out to be an incredible relationship," he said.
"I can tell you that, looking down the lens right now. It started off a little bit rocky. but their relationship now, Prime Minister to President of the United States, is extremely strong."
He said the "little brother and big brother relationship and bond" between Australia and the United States was "as strong as it has ever been".
Norman said highlighting the importance of that relationship in the US was about "putting the right people in touch", and he hadn't been afraid to reach out to leaders of the two countries in the past.
"The Aussie spirit that we have in Australia flows deeply through my blood, and I think the Americans would be the benefactors if they understood a little bit more of that Aussie spirit."
Norman acknowledged the Mr Trump was "disruptive" and divided public opinion.
"Because I mentioned before, he's got stars and stripes flowing through his blood, to the thickest I've ever see anything in life, so he's gotta be disruptive with the judicial branch, he's gonna be disruptive with the executive branch, he's gonna be disruptive with the public branch, who voted him in there."
Norman said Mr Turnbull and Mr Trump were "intelligent guys" and shared common ground with their business backgrounds.
"I think [Trump]'s better today than what he was three months ago, than what he was,
obviously... (with) the inauguration," he said.
Norman said he would reassure US voters who didn't support Mr Trump, and Australians who felt nervous about his presidency, that he was "trying to make America a better place to be".
"Like I said, some people like it, some people don't like it, but at the end of the day, if his number one priority is to make America a safer place, then God bless him, quite honestly."
