The discussion was sparked by President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, as they debated their physical fitness and consequent suitability to lead the nation at their respective ages of 81 and 78. Amid this discourse, Biden claimed to have reduced his golf handicap to six during his vice-presidential tenure, later revising it to eight.
To the seasoned golfer, this claim was startling, a sentiment echoed by Trump, leading to a debate more commonly found on the golf course than a political stage.
To comprehend the dispute, one must first grasp the concept of a golf handicap. This numerical measure indicates a player's potential or skill level, reflecting the number of strokes a player is expected to play above a course's par. Professional golfers, however, do not maintain a handicap. A handicap below 10 is deemed low, below 18 is mid-range, and above 19 is high. A zero handicap is indicative of a scratch golfer.
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According to Fox News, Biden's claimed handicap of six or eight suggests he averages in the high 70s or low 80s per round. Data collected by the United States Golf Association (USGA) in January 2024 revealed that the average handicap index for men was approximately 14, and 28 for women. Only a fifth of male golfers had a handicap index range of 0.5 to 9.9.
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Comparing an average golfer to a PGA Tour professional would be unjust, given the disparity in the difficulty of the courses they play. Nonetheless, some have attempted to calculate what professional golfers' indexes would be if they were tracked.
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In 2020, golf statistician Lou Stagner undertook this task. His analysis of data from 2016 to 2020 revealed that Rickie Fowler led the pack with a best index of +8.4, indicating the number of strokes better than scratch (0). Kevin Na and Tiger Woods followed closely with a best index of +8.3, while the average index for a PGA Tour pro was around +5.4.
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While the golf handicap debate may continue indefinitely, Bryson DeChambeau, with an average index of +5.8, proposed a solution. He offered to host a golf match on his YouTube channel, stating, "Let’s settle this whole handicap debate, I’ll host the golf match on my YouTube." This intriguing proposition could potentially bring an end to this unusual political dispute.
