Thursday night's presidential debate, hosted by CNN, featured a topic no one could have predicted.Golf handicap.
President Joe Biden and former presidents Donald Trump The president raised the issue while discussing the fitness and ability of two men to serve as head of state at ages 81 and 78. During the debate, Bhide claimed he had lowered his golf handicap to six while he was vice president, a claim he later revised to eight.
President Joe Biden plays golf at Buccaneer Golf Course on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, December 30, 2022. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
For avid golfers, the numbers were especially surprising — Trump himself couldn't believe it.
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Thus, discussions that would normally take place in class were brought into the forum.
But to best understand the debate, we first need to understand the basics.
What is a Golf Handicap?
A golf handicap, or handicap index, is a number used to represent a player's ability or potential. It represents how many strokes a player is expected to play above par for a particular course.
Professional Golfer Don't hold a handicap.
Anything under 10 is considered a low score, anything under 18 is considered a medium score, and anything over 19 is considered a high score. A zero is considered a scratch golfer.
Biden's estimated vote count is between 6 and 8, so his average vote count per round would be in the high 70s to low 80s.
President Joe Biden stands at the podium during the first presidential debate of the 2024 presidential election with former President Donald Trump at CNN studios in Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Kevin D. Lyles for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau offers to settle Trump-Biden golf handicap debate
What is the average?
According to data collected in January 2024, United States Golf Association According to the (USGA), the average handicap index for men is about 14 and for women it is 28. Only 20% of male golfers have a handicap index range of 0.5 to 9.9.
How does Biden compare to the pros?
It would be unfair to compare the average golfer to a PGA Tour professional, as the difficulty of the courses they play just doesn't compare.
Professionals don't keep records, but some have calculated what the index would have been if they had.
Tiger Woods of the United States reacts on the 18th green during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 12, 2024. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
In 2020, golf statistics guru Lou Stagner did just that. His numbers, taken from data collected from 2016 to 2020, put Rickie Fowler in first place with a Best Index of +8.4 (strokes better than scratch (0)).
Kevin Na Tiger Woods The highest index was +8.3. The average index for PGA Tour pros was about +5.4.
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The debate over golf's handicaps may never be settled, but Bryson DeChambeau, who has an average index of +5.8, has offered to help settle it.
“Let's settle the handicap debate. I'm hosting a golf tournament on YouTube.”
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