Barack Obama isn't the first president of the United States to golf, but he's been more scrutinized about his passion for the game than any other commander-in-chief we've ever had.
ESPN The Magazine decided to dig deeper into the president's golfing habits, and the article will hit newstands on Oct. 15. However, a glimpse of what's to come has already been provided by ESPN.com, and there's a few interesting highlights.
First, the article recounts the day SEAL Team Six killed Osama bin Laden. Obama had apparently been on the golf course that day, but he cut his game short after nine holes — a rarity — to quickly get down to the White House's Situation Room.
The article also discusses how Mitt Romney's group has attempted to use Obama's golfing tendencies against him, with the Republican presidential candidate even saying in December 2011, "I just think it's time to have a president whose idea of being hands-on does not mean getting a better grip on the golf club."
Perhaps the most interesting note in the article, though, comes toward the end, when the author notes an interesting trend in presidential golfing history.
"Golf, for Obama, has become 'a sanctuary of sorts,' says Andres W. Lopez, an attorney who has known the president since their Harvard days. Still, there might be one more reason Obama has stuck to his beloved game — and why Romney's camp seems bent on making him quit," the article states. "Since the 1980 presidential election, a curious trend has emerged: Jimmy Carter. Walter Mondale. Michael Dukakis. Bob Dole. Al Gore. John Kerry. John McCain. None of them played golf. All of them tasted bitter defeat. All of them lost to golfers."
Coincidence, or much, much more?
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What a season.
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He's the best hitter in the game.
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Oh, I get it.
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Push it to the limit.
