During the presidential debate on Thursday, a surprising turn of events unfolded as Donald Trump and Joe Biden engaged in a heated discussion about golf. The debate, already rife with tension, quickly descended into a bout of bragging and bickering as the candidates, with a combined age of 159, were questioned about their fitness to serve a full term as president.
Mr. Trump, 78, seized the opportunity to assert his physical and mental capabilities, citing recent victories in two golf club championships as evidence. He claimed to be in excellent health, emphasizing that he feels just as fit as he did 25 to 30 years ago, if not better. Trump’s golf wins were reported to have occurred at a golf club he owns in West Palm Beach, Florida, with one of the victories allegedly taking place while he was 600 miles away. Furthermore, Trump was accused of inflating his golfing prowess, with rumours circulating that he has a track record of exaggerating his handicap.
Not one to back down, Mr. Biden, 81, promptly challenged Trump to a driving contest, asserting that he had reduced his handicap to a six while serving as vice-president. The former president, however, was quick to dismiss Mr. Biden’s claim, sparking yet another round of contentious exchange. Both presidential candidates have been accused of fabricating their golfing abilities, with Trump reportedly enlisting secret service agents and caddies to misrepresent his handicap.
This debate over golf proficiency has long been a topic of contention for Trump and Biden. Both have been scrutinised for exaggerating their golfing skills, with American sportswriter Rick Reilly even authoring a book entitled “Commander in Cheat” that delves into Trump’s dubious conduct on the golf course. On the other hand, Mr. Biden’s golfing abilities have been called into question by the former Republican governor of Ohio, John Kasich.
With their golf scores coming into question, it is apparent that the contentious relationship between Trump and Biden extends even into the realm of golf. The debate’s focus may have been on fitness to serve as president, but it seems that the golfing squabble between these two political heavyweights has also sparked attention and debate both on and off the course.