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It’s been a somewhat strange presidential election campaign over in the United States – and golf has been front and centre for a lot of it.
Given Donald Trump owns no fewer than 17 golf resorts across the world, including two in Scotland and one in Ireland, it should perhaps come as little surprise.
So let’s have a quick refresher on all the times our beloved sport was used as a political tool in the months leading up to Trump’s triumphant return to the White House…
• The most golf-mad US presidents of all time
The handicap debate
How is it only four months ago that Republican Trump and his Democratic party rival, President Joe Biden, were arguing about who was the better golfer?
During a debate in July, the pair – with their combined age of 159 – were asked to address voters’ concerns about their capability of serving another four-year term in the Oval Office.
To evidence his self-appointed rude health, Trump noted that he had recently won two club championships.
“To do that you have to be quite smart and you have to be able to hit the ball a long way and I do it,” Trump explained, before turning his attentions to Biden. “He doesn’t do it. He can’t hit a ball 50 yards. He challenged me to a golf match – he can’t hit a ball 50 yards.”
Biden bit back: “I got my handicap, when I was vice-president [from 2009 and 2017], down to a six.
“And by the way, I told you before, I’m happy to play golf if you carry your own bag. Think you can do it?”
Trump then accused Biden of lying: “That’s the biggest lie – that he’s a six handicap – of all. I’ve seen your swing. I know your swing. Let’s not act like children.”
• Donald Trump vs Joe Biden: Who is the better golfer?
The offer
A few days later came Bryson DeChambeau’s first involvement in the election campaign.
Having watched the madness unfold, the LIV golfer saw an opportunity to grow his YouTube channel…
Let’s settle this whole handicap debate, I’ll host the golf match on my YouTube @realDonaldTrump @JoeBiden
— Bryson DeChambeau (@b_dechambeau) June 28, 2024
DeChambeau had recently celebrated his second US Open title with Trump’s son, Eric, while his father used social media to congratulate his friend.
“Congratulations to Bryson DeChambeau on his incredible WIN of the United States Open!” he wrote. “He showed a toughness and inner strength, matched perfectly with his GREAT Golfing Talent, that can never be denied!
“Under massive pressure, he pulled off some of the greatest shots ever made, especially his spectacular sand save on the 18th Hole that gave him the Victory.”
More on their relationship in a bit…
The challenge match
A few more days passed and, still obsessing over the handicap debate, Trump challenged Biden to a golf match.
After mocking Biden’s swing to much uproar from the MAGA masses in Miami, Trump declared: “I’m also officially challenging ‘Crooked Joe’ to an 18-hole golf match right here on Doral’s Blue Monster.”
Not done there, Trump then made two incredible claims.
“It will be among the most-watched sporting events in history. Maybe bigger than the Ryder Cup or even the Masters,” he said.
“And if he wins, I will give the charity of his choice one million dollars.”
Of course, it never happened, and within a couple of weeks, Biden had stepped aside to allow his vice-president, Kamala Harris, to run against Trump.
The viral sensation
What did pan out, though, was DeChambeau’s bid to get his new golfing buddy on his YouTube channel.
The gamble paid off, and within a week the video had topped 10 million views while DeChambeau smashed through the one million subscribers barrier.
The pair, who agreed to donate $10,000 for every birdie and $20,000 for each eagle, shot 22-under to raise funds for the Wounded Warriors Project, a charity supporting military veterans in the US.
• Golf fans all say the same thing about Bryson DeChambeau’s video with Donald Trump
The Faldo flop
In August, at a rally in Montana, Trump spotted a golf legend in the crowd and couldn’t resist going off-script.
“I’m a golfer, I love golf, and this guy is a major golfer,” Trump said. “He is a major friend of mine. One of the best ever.
“They knighted him in the UK, and he just knew how to win. He could take people, he’d play the best players in the world, and they always folded in front of him.
“In fact, I think I need to bring him into government because we like to get other people to fold, and his nickname is ‘Foldo’ because he makes everyone [fold], but his name is Faldo.”
“Nick Faldo and his beautiful wife, Lindsay.”
The six-time major champion, though, was quick to dismiss any political leaning.
“Before I head out the door this morning into the great outdoors of Montana to cast a fly in the river,” Faldo wrote on X. “I will make a short and sweet statement about Former President Donald Trump’s tongue-in-cheek compliment of my competitive fortitude.
“For those who took his comments seriously, I must say, that I am amused that I need to clarify and announce that I have zero interest in and no intention of taking a political position.”
The self-imposed ban
After two apparent assassination attempts – including, the New York Times reported, one at Trump International in Florida – the Republican candidate decided in September he should probably give up his “main source of relaxation” and stay off the golf course for a little bit.
• Tiger Woods makes surprise Donald Trump admission ahead of Open
The swing dance
Each Trump rally in the build up to November 5 tended to have a bit of a cabaret feel to them as he would dance his way onto the stage to the Village People’s 1978 campthem YMCA.
He also couldn’t resist the opportunity to have a couple of practice swings…
President @realDonaldTrump having the time of his life as he campaigns down the home stretch! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/j8c2SrnPro
— Margo Martin (@margommartin) November 3, 2024
We’ve all been there.
The crown jewels
In October, Trump’s golf obsession took a slightly more peculiar turn.
At a rally at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Pennsylvania, the president-elect opened by discussing the much-loved golfer for more than 12 minutes.
Within that, it all got rather crude.
“Arnold Palmer was all man – and I say that in all due respect to women, and I love women – but this is a guy that was all man,” Trump said. “This man was strong and tough, and I refuse to say it, but when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there and they said, ‘Oh, my God, that’s unbelievable.’”
The crowd laughed and Trump joined them.
“I had to say it,” he added.
Trump 10 minutes into his Arnold Palmer story: But when he took showers with the other pros, they came out of there. They said, oh my God. That's unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/kRLKWixpT8
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 19, 2024
Incidentally, Palmer’s daughter, Peg, said in a 2020 interview that her father had no time for Trump.
“My dad didn’t like people who act like they’re better than other people,” she said. “He had no patience for people who are dishonest and cheat.
“My dad was disciplined. He wanted to be a good role model. He was appalled by Trump’s lack of civility and what he began to see as Trump’s lack of character. What would my dad think of Donald Trump today? I think he’d cringe.”
The Golden Bear necessities
Trump then turned his attention to another golf legend by claiming that, because his uncle spent 41 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, that must mean being super smart is in his genes.
His back-up to this claim? “Jack Nicklaus isn’t going to produce a bad golfer.”
Trump: I have an uncle.. 41 years at MIT. Has so many degrees he did not know what to do with them all. In the most complicated— I understand a lot of this stuff. I believe in that. Jack Nicklaus is not going to produce a bad golfer. That is the way it works. pic.twitter.com/3VI9FdxHhs
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 2, 2024
Incidentally, of Nicklaus’s five children – Jack, Steven, Nancy, Michael and Gary – only the latter tried his hand at life as a pro. The 55-year-old still pokes about a bit on the Champions Tour, and to date has made 33 cuts from 123 starts in PGA Tour-affiliated events since 1992.
The deal breaker
On the eve of the election, Trump insisted he would put an end to golf’s so-called civil war.
A truce appears to be being held up by the US Department of Justice, which will investigate a deal between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund on the basis of anti-competition.
But while Trump believes the US has “much bigger problems than that”, he couldn’t resist adding his business prowess to the discussion. “I would say it would take me the better part of 15 minutes to get that deal done,” he added.
• Rory McIlroy backs Donald Trump (and Elon Musk!) to fix golf
The victory parade
And finally, in the early hours of November 6, as this side of the world woke up to the realisation that Trump will regain access to the nuclear codes, Trump once again turned to his new pal DeChambeau.
Having seen off Democratic rival Harris, Trump was addressing a delirious crowd at the Palm Beach Convention Centre in Florida – just the 1,200 miles from the LIV golfer’s Dallas home – when he said: “We have up here today the US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, fantastic golfer, obviously he hits the ball slightly longer than me, just a little bit.”
Only DeChambeau was nowhere to be seen.
“Bryson DeChambeau is up here somewhere,” Trump continued. “What happened to Bryson? Where is he? Bryson! He’s hitting balls. He’s on the way?”
Eventually, DeChambeau appeared wearing a “Dark MAGA” cap.
“Bryson!” Trump shouted. “Oh, look at him. He’s got a great career going. Great US Open, Bryson, that’s a fantastic job.”
🏌️♂️🇺🇸🏆 JUST IN: President-Elect Trump called U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau on stage during his victory speech
“Where is he? He’s hitting balls?” 🤣
(Via: @flushingitgolf)
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) November 6, 2024
Good luck, everyone. See you in 2028…
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