(Scott Adams/Flickr)
OF THE 44 AMERICAN PRESIDENTS (I’m counting President-elect Barack Obama), 15, or about one in three, are/were golfers. In the January issue of Golf Digest, the magazine ranks the 15:
- John F. Kennedy
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Gerald R. Ford
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- George H. W. Bush
- George W. Bush
- Bill Clinton
- Barack Obama
- Ronald Reagan
- Warren G. Harding
- William Howard Taft
- Woodrow Wilson
- Richard M. Nixon
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Calvin Coolidge
Barack Obama is No. 8, but look at the top of the list. From everything I’ve read, John Kennedy is clearly No. 1. And then “Ike” and Gerald Ford are two and three. TWO AND THREE! Wow. Is it just me, or are Ike and Ford a scary golf thought? (No disrespect intended.)
Golf Digest said they based the rankings on their research and available public information. I’ve come up with another way to settle this. I invite you to join me for the first annual Presidents Golf Championship at the ARMCHAIR GOLF BLOG.
We’ll put the 15 (and another one, to be named) in brackets for a match-play tournament. All matches will be played at Augusta National under tight security. We’ll find out how the presidents deal with real pressure. And in a few weeks we’ll crown a champion.
Next time I’ll profile the golfing presidents, and then the tournament will get underway.
Please submit any suggestions on whom you would like added to the field. He’ll be the 16th seed and have to go up against JFK in the opening match. That one is already looking like a rout.
−The Armchair Golfer
From what I’ve read about Bubba it seems that the Rules of Golf to him were but merely a suggestion.
Great article. Nice idea!
That is a pretty awesome idea, does the 16th seat have to be a president? If so, I vote for “Stonewall” Andrew Jackson! 🙂 That dude knew all about pressure 🙂
Unfortunately, from what I’ve read none of them play by the rules. How, then, can you establish which one might be the better player. From looking at TV shots of their swings, JFK is clearly at the top, next would come Clinton and/or Obama (only seen his swing once but he appeared to have a superb follow- through). There’s really nothing else to go on.
I’ve heard the same thing, Bobbio.
Andrew Jackson, Orlando. Got it. (I’ll have to look at a presidents list for other possibilities.)
You’re right, Lancer. Not much to go on. I might try to bring in an expert to handicap the tournament. I’m looking into that. Then we’ll just get them out there and see how the matches develop. 🙂
How about future presidents? I don’t know how good Arnold is, but I’m sure that when Tiger gets to be prez he’ll give J.F.K. a good run for the number 1 spot.