FORGET immigration, healthcare and taxes – the fiery point of contention in President Joe Biden’s debate with Donald Trump was centred on golf skills.
Trump is a known golfing enthusiast, owning several courses in the US and abroad.
But does Biden hit birdies or bunkers?
What is Joe Biden’s golf handicap?
Biden boasted his handicap was six, and several reports from when he was vice president echo his claims.
It means he’d typically shoot just six strokes over par, which would make him an outstanding golfer for his age.
According to golf.com, the average handicap in the US is 14.2, and at six, Biden would be ranked in the top 16 per cent nationwide.
A 2016 Golf Digest report on the best golfers in Washington, however, had Biden listed at equal 68th with a handicap of 10.
The same ranking had Trump at no.12 with an impressive 2.8.
But Golf Digest a year prior reported Biden had a handicap of 6.2.
It’s unclear what Biden’s handicap would be now.
What has Joe Biden said about his golf handicap?
During the pair’s squabble over golf, Biden claimed he brought his handicap down to six when he was vice president under Barack Obama between 2009-17.
He said: “I got my handicap, when I was vice president, down to six.”
When Trump challenged him he back-pedalled slightly, saying: “I was an eight handicap. Yeah. Eight.”
Biden then challenged Trump to a round, but only if the latter agreed to carry his own bags.
Biden asked: “Think you can do it?”
What did Donald Trump say about Joe Biden’s golf handicap?
During the debate, Trump challenged Biden claiming “he can’t hit a ball 50 yards” when the pair bickered over who was more fit for office with both well beyond retirement age.
Biden said he’d be “happy to have a driving contest”.
Trump didn’t believe his rival’s handicap claim, saying: “That’s the biggest lie, that he’s a six handicap.”
If Biden were to take on Trump it wouldn’t be the first time a political showdown was held on the fairways.
In 2011, he and Obama played with Republican counterparts former Speaker of the House John Boehner and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Kasich played with Biden against Obama and Boehner in a rare case of Republicans and Democrats joining forces – but he seemed disappointed with his teammate’s performance.
Kasich in 2012 said despite Biden’s listed handicap he was not a good golfer.
Kasich said at the 2012 Republican National Convention: “Joe Biden told me that he was a good golfer, and I’ve played golf with Joe Biden.
“I can tell you that’s not true, as well as all of the other things that he says.”