On Monday, a Virginia megachurch pastor issued a statement explaining his decision to pray for President Donald Trump during a surprise visit.
After leaving the National Golf Club in Sterling Virginia, Trump went to McClean Bible Church, where Pastor David Platt prayed for the president on stage. 
In <a href="https://www.mcleanbible.org/prayer-president">a statement</a> released on the church&#8217;s website, Platt said he had minutes to decide what to do after learning the president was on his way to the church.&#8203;
&#8220;But I was immediately called backstage and told that the president of the United States was on his way to the church, would be there in a matter of minutes, and would like for us to pray for him,&#8221; Platt wrote. &#8220;I immediately thought about my longing to guard the integrity of the gospel in our church.&#8221;
He said 1 Timothy 2:1-6 came to his mind and he decided to pray for the president.
Platt also said that his prayer is in no way endorsing the president. 
&#8220;My aim was in no way to endorse the president, his policies, or his party, but to obey God&#8217;s command to pray for our president and other leaders to govern in the way this passage portrays.&#8221;
Platt added that he felt it necessary to explain himself because he knew &#8220;some within our church, for a variety of valid reasons, are hurt that I made this decision.&#8221;
&#8220;This weighs heavy on my heart,&#8221; Platt said. &#8220;I love every member of this church, and I only want to lead us with God&#8217;s Word in a way that transcends political party and position, heals the hurts of racial division and injustice, and honors every man and woman made in the image of God. So while I am thankful that we had an opportunity to obey 1 Timothy 2 in a unique way today, I don&#8217;t want to purposely ever do anything that undermines the unity we have in Christ.&#8221;
The unannounced visit to the church came on a day that more than 250 evangelical leaders said they would dedicate to praying for Trump, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/47945/watch-trump-makes-surprise-visit-virginia-kassy-dillon">reported</a>:&#8203;
<blockquote>
Last week, more than 250 Christian leaders <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham/posts/2497135067009326?__tn__=-R">announced</a> that Sunday would be a &#8220;SPECIAL Day of Prayer for the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, that God would protect, strengthen, embolden, and direct him.&#8221;&#8203;
&#8220;President Trump&#8217;s enemies continue to try everything to destroy him, his family, and the presidency,&#8221; the statement posted on Franklin Graham&#8217;s Facebook page reads. &#8220;In the history of our country, no president has been attacked as he has. I believe the only hope for him, and this nation, is God.&#8221; 
&#8220;On June 2, we ask that pastors would lead their congregations in praying for the President, that Sunday schools and other groups would join together and pray, and that individuals and families across the country would have a special focus on praying for the President that day,&#8221; the statement added.
In a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-stops-by-evangelical-church-to-pray-for-virginia-beach-victims">statement</a>, White House Deputy Spokesman Judd Deere said Trump was at the church to pray for the victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach last Friday.
&#8220;President Donald J. Trump is visiting McLean Bible Church in Vienna, VA, to visit with the Pastor and pray for the victims and community of Virginia Beach,&#8221; Deere said.
</blockquote>

Pastor Explains Decision To Pray For Trump On Stage During Visit To ‘Hurt’ Churchgoers

Christianity

Donald Trump

Golf

Virginia

A Texas family&#8217;s elaborate, years-long scheme to make a &#8220;substantial profit&#8221; off lottery tickets to the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club could result in not only &#8220;substantial&#8221; fines but &#8220;substantial prison time.&#8221;
Just over a week after Tiger Woods secured his 5th career Masters championship and 15th major championship, the <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/family-charged-scheme-masters-tickets-resale-205408687--golf.html">Associated Press</a> reported that federal prosecutors have charged a Texas family for a years-long Masters ticket scam involving identity theft and mail and wire fraud that carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. 
According to charges filed in U.S. District Court in Augusta, four members of a family from Texas over the course of five years &#8212; 2013 to 2017 &#8212; used multiple stolen identities and addresses obtained from a bulk mailing list in order to &#8220;cheat the lottery system that distributes tournament tickets and to circumvent Augusta National Golf Club&#8217;s rules allowing people to apply only once to enter its ticket lottery,&#8221; AP reports.
How many Masters tickets the family allegedly obtained and how much they made in profit is not specified in the court filings, but prosecutors say the family members are guilty of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. 
&#8220;According to court documents, the four defendants used names and addresses from a purchased bulk mailing list to create multiple fraudulent accounts in the Augusta National Golf Club&#8217;s online ticket application system,&#8221; Augusta&#8217;s <a href="https://fox28media.com/news/local/texas-family-charged-in-masters-ticket-scheme">Fox 28</a> reports. &#8220;All this occurred without the knowledge or permission of the individuals whose identities were used.&#8221;
&#8220;The family would then ask Augusta National to change the addresses associated with the bogus accounts, using &#8216;false driver licenses, false utility bills and false credit card statements in the identity of the fake user accounts&#8217; sent by mail, the court documents said,&#8221; AP reports.
In this way, the tickets the family won through Augusta&#8217;s ticket lottery would be received by the family members, at which point they would resell the tickets at what prosecutors describe as a &#8220;substantial profit.&#8221;
In a press release this week, U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine denounced the family members as &#8220;profiteering con artists&#8221; whose &#8220;despicable&#8221; actions robbed people of the chance to win tickets to the &#8220;cherished&#8221; event. 
&#8220;The Masters is one of the world&#8217;s great sporting events, and tickets to the tournament are cherished by their fortunate recipients,&#8221; Christine said in a statement reported by Fox. &#8220;Using fraud and deceit to circumvent the Augusta National&#8217;s generous lottery system is despicable, and those who follow the rules in hopes of winning tickets deserve better than to have their chances diminished by profiteering con artists.&#8221;
FBI Special Agent Chris Hacker, who heads up the FBI&#8217;s Atlanta department, stressed in a statement that the family&#8217;s &#8220;greed&#8221; could result in &#8220;substantial prison time.&#8221;
&#8220;Because of the defendants&#8217; greed, they now face substantial prison time if convicted of the alleged crimes,&#8221; said the agent. &#8220;The FBI will always make it a priority to investigate anyone who tries to circumvent a fair process, whether it is the Masters or any other private or public entity.&#8221;
The charges carry significant monetary fines and up to 20 years in prison, Christine explained. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/43001/trump-golfs-tiger-woods-jack-nicklaus-has-message-james-barrett">Trump Golfs With Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Has A Message For Everyone About Tiger</a>

Family Faces ‘Substantial’ Prison Time Over Masters Ticket Scam

&#8220;I always turn to the sports section first. The sports section records man’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.&#8221; – Former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren
Well, consider this perhaps the first and last time I will quote Earl Warren approvingly.
For an entire generation of sports fans, Tiger Woods defined grit, determination, suaveness, and pizzazz. Woods, who won his first record-shattering Masters one year before Michael Jordan&#8217;s final NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls, was the anointed successor to Jordan as the world&#8217;s most mass-marketed athletic phenomenon. Personally, Tiger was the closest I had to a coming-of-age sporting hero — someone whom I would constantly emulate and root for every time he set foot on the golf course.
And then, twelve years after his first victory at the Masters at the tender age of 21, Tiger fell. Hard.
<a href="http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/15278522/how-tiger-woods-life-unraveled-years-father-earl-woods-death">Really, really hard</a>.
For years, after his now-infamously adulterous ways were outed and his personal life unraveled, the world&#8217;s hitherto most dominant athlete found himself mired in obscurity. He was arrested for a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/tiger-woods-dui-arrest-golfer-had-five-drugs-system-toxicology-n792856">DUI</a>. He had <a href="https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1117494675932418048">four knee surgeries, four back surgeries</a>, and underwent countless swing changes.
And now, eleven years after Tiger&#8217;s last major championship victory — in which he out-dueled Rocco Mediate in an eighteen-hole playoff at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines — and a whopping fourteen years after he last won a coveted green jacket at Augusta National Golf Club, Tiger has come all the way back to once again reach the pinnacle of the golfing world. It is nothing less than the most remarkable story to emerge from the sporting world in my lifetime.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Single greatest comeback story in sporting history.
Single greatest sporting story, period, of my lifetime.<a href="https://twitter.com/TigerWoods?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TigerWoods</a> is <a href="https://twitter.com/TheMasters?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheMasters</a> champion in 2019.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1117494792106270720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">Tiger Woods, after four back surgeries, four knee surgeries and 11 years since his last major – and less than two years after he told golfers at the Champions Dinner he was “done” – has won the Masters at the age of 43.
One of the most improbable sports stories of our time.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) <a href="https://twitter.com/zkeefer/status/1117494675932418048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">There are very few sports stories Americans love more than &#8220;once-great athlete overcomes adversity to recapture his former glory one more time.&#8221; Athletic careers are so short, such a compressed metaphor for mortality.
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) <a href="https://twitter.com/baseballcrank/status/1117498231255117825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Tiger Woods is not everyone&#8217;s cup of tea. Indeed, he is a famously complex figure — cold, aloof, oddly childish in some ways, and with a legion of publicly exposed sins for which he may or may not have already repented in the service of a higher power in which he may or may not believe.
But there is something indescribably seductive — inescapably dazzling — about watching the culmination of a decade-long comeback of a man who was not so much merely a legendary golfer as he was a legendary global icon. Yesterday was a historic day that made for gripping television, as fans all across the world rooted for Tiger to complete his comeback at the lusciously verdant site of his first major triumph — Augusta National.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">If you aren’t rooting for Tiger Woods right now you have no soul.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1117470274453217281?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
And succeed Tiger did.
America, as is so often said, is a land of second chances. With enough hard work, perseverance, and dedication, there is often no limit to man&#8217;s ability to fight back from the brink and ascend to the top anew. Tiger Woods, the once-great champion who flirted with an injury-addled premature retirement but who chose to take the more difficult yet more rewarding path instead, is now living proof of that. Tiger may not be a shining example of morality in one&#8217;s personal life, but he is — and now, forever will be — a shining example of the power of the human spirit. And, amazingly, this encore presentation of Tiger&#8217;s career is likely not over; considering also his runner-up finish at last season&#8217;s final major, the 2018 PGA Championship, Tiger appears to once again be playing some of the best golf of his career.
It is a simply astonishing story — a testament to grit, work ethic, and sheer industriousness.
I am so very happy for Tiger Woods.

HAMMER: Tiger Woods’ Comeback Completion Showcases The Power Of The Human Spirit

Sports

Tiger Woods

Honestly, the whole story is a big &#8220;who cares,&#8221; but leave it to the left-wing media to produce a headline and social media post that makes things seem more sinister than they are.
Wednesday afternoon, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-installed-a-room-sized-golf-simulator-at-white-house/2019/02/13/ed3f6d5c-2e45-11e9-813a-0ab2f17e305b_story.html">wrote an article</a> titled &#8220;President Trump installed a room-sized golf simulator at White House.&#8221;
Whoa, what? How dare he change the White House and install a game to ignore doing presidential things (even though so many at the Post and others hate when he does those presidential things).
Except, this wasn&#8217;t much of a story at all. Trump&#8217;s room-sized &#8220;golf simulator&#8221; simply replaced a cheaper model installed by President Barack Obama. And the system &#8212; which cost $50,000 &#8212; was paid for personally by Trump. Oh, and he hasn&#8217;t even used it since it was installed.
Nevertheless, the Post spent the rest of the article talking about Trump playing golf. This is definitely okay, since Trump and Republicans constantly complained about Obama playing golf after Democrats mocked President George W. Bush for playing golf. Bush gave up the game shortly into his presidency, which obviously meant nothing to the Left.
Trump also appears to play more physical golf than Obama did, averaging 70 games a year to Obama&#8217;s 38, <a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/weve-crunched-the-numbers-and-its-official-president-obama-played-a-lot-of-golf-while-in-office">according to Golf Digest</a>. The Post, however, could not find data on how much virtual golf Obama played.
The White House has a long history of renovations, including recreational activities installed by presidents.
President Theodore Roosevelt had the White House renovated to update the lighting from gas to electric. He also installed a new elevator and a tennis court, rebuilt the East Terrace and removed a staircase from the State Dining Room, <a href="https://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/has-the-white-house-ever-been-renovated-or-changed">according to the White House Historical Association</a>.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had an indoor swimming pool installed. President Gerald Ford had an outdoor swimming pool installed. President Richard Nixon built a single-lane bowling alley.
Obama modified the tennis court to also allow for basketball.
Trump did stop playing golf for 69 days before and during the government shutdown (how nice of him), but he apparently complained to friends that he missed playing golf in Florida at his Mar-a-Lago resort, according to the Post.

WaPo Headline Dings Trump For Installing Golf Simulator. There’s More To The Story.

Barack Obama

White House

Tiger Woods is worth $750 million. Phil Mickelson has only got half that, $375 million, but he&#8217;s doing OK.
And on Friday, the two will be able to add millions more to their bank accounts when they face off in a pay-per-view event dubbed &#8220;The Match.&#8221; The two golfers will go head-to-head in a contest with more than $9 million at stake. But on Tuesday, when two of the best golfers in the world met to hype the event, the stakes got personal.
During the televised press conference &#8212; which took on the tone of a pre-title boxing bout &#8212; Mickelson mused about how well the first hole at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas sets up for him.
&#8220;I feel like the first hole is a great hole for me,&#8221; Mickelson said. &#8220;And I believe &#8212; in fact I&#8217;m willing to risk $100,000 that says I birdie the first hole. So that&#8217;s how good I feel heading into this match.&#8221;
Woods, a 14-time major champion, quickly pounced: &#8220;So you think you can make birdie on the first hole?&#8221;
&#8220;I know I&#8217;m going to make birdie on the first hole,&#8221; Mickelson said.
&#8220;Double it,&#8221; Woods fired back.
After the bet was settled, Mickelson, as big gambler, said: &#8220;Did you see how I baited him like that?&#8221;
So the first hole will be worth a cool $200,000 for each golfer, which in a lot of ways is like a Sunday foursome playing a $2 Nassau. Still, both will have some skin in the game right from the get go, and since the golfers will be wearing microphones, there could well be a lot of wagering going on the rest of the round.
Still, while the promoters sought to paint the contest as a grudge match, the two golfers have long been friendly and they both stand to make a lot of money from sponsors and viewers who pay $19.99 for the event.
Mickelson, 48, joked that Woods is six years younger than him &#8220;even though he doesn&#8217;t look it.&#8221; But then he launched into praise for one of the world&#8217;s best golfers ever.
&#8220;He came along and broke every single record I had,&#8221; Mickelson said. &#8220;Junior records, college. U.S. Amateur: I won one, he won three. At Shadow Creek, I shot the course-record 61. A couple of years later you shoot 60.&#8221;
All that will change in The Match, Mickelson said.
&#8220;But Friday you&#8217;ve got to do it simultaneously. You can&#8217;t come along and do it later. It&#8217;s my chance after losing so many tournaments to you, so many majors, to get something back.&#8221;
And Mickelson said he&#8217;s not in it just for the money, but rather for a chance to knock off Woods head-to-head.
&#8220;This is a unique opportunity to do something that I&#8217;ve had a hard time doing, which is to get a leg up on Tiger even if it&#8217;s just one day,&#8221; Mickelson said. &#8220;It&#8217;s great to win the $9 million, but I just don&#8217;t want to lose to him. The bragging rights are the thing. I want to be able to rub it in; I don&#8217;t want it to be rubbed in. I want to sit in the champions locker room at Augusta [National, home of the Masters] and talk smack.&#8221;
The Match begins at 3 p.m. EST with a pre-show at 2 p.m. that includes PGA golfer Pat Perez, NBA legend Charles Barkley and actor Samuel L. Jackson. You can watch the whole press conference below.
<div class="embed video fluid-video"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ns2aqHi4wfI" width="1280"></iframe></div>

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson Just Put A LOT Of Cash On Side Bet For First Hole Of Grudge Match

A woman hit in the eye by a golf ball hit by U.S. pro golfer Brooks Koepka has lost her sight in the injured eye, and she plans to file a lawsuit.
Corine Remande, 49, was hit in the face by a drive hit by Koepka at last week&#8217;s Ryder Cup outside Paris. The ball fractured Remande&#8217;s right eye socket and her eyeball suffered an &#8220;explosion,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/45714544">BBC</a>.
&#8220;Doctors told me I had lost the use of that eye,&#8221; Remande said.
&#8220;It happened so fast, I didn&#8217;t feel any pain when I was hit. I didn&#8217;t feel like the ball had struck my eye and then I felt the blood start to pour. The scan on Friday confirmed a fracture of the right eye-socket and an explosion of the eyeball,&#8221; she said.
Remande is considering taking legal action against the Ryder Cup organizers. &#8203;She told the Agence France Presse that there was &#8220;no warning shout from the course official when the ball was heading towards the crowd.&#8221; Remande also said no one from the Ryder Cup has contacted her since she suffered her injury.
A Ryder Cup spokesperson told the BBC:
<blockquote>
It is distressing to hear that someone might suffer long-term consequences from a ball strike.
We have been in communication with the family involved, starting with the immediate on-course treatment and thereafter to provide support, helping with the logistics of repatriation, including providing a transfer for the family from Paris to Lyon. We will continue to offer support for as long as necessary.
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Ball strikes are an occasional hazard for spectators but this kind of incident is extremely rare.
We can confirm that &#8220;fore&#8221; was shouted several times but also appreciate how hard it can be to know when and where every ball is struck if you are in the crowd.
We are hugely sympathetic and will do everything we can to support the spectator, insofar as that is possible under very difficult circumstances.
</blockquote>
For his part, Koepka did go over to check on Remande after his ball hit her on the sixth hole on the opening day of the contest between the U.S. and European players. And he apologized.
&#8220;You don&#8217;t want to hit anybody in the face, especially not a woman, and it&#8217;s not a good feeling. I saw her. It looked like it hurt,&#8221; Koepka said after his round. &#8220;She was bleeding pretty good. It looked like it hit her right in the eye so hopefully there&#8217;s no loss of vision. It&#8217;s not a fun feeling. I probably do it way more than I should. It seems just about every week we&#8217;re hitting somebody.&#8221;
But he also said: &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to control a golf ball, especially for 300 yards, and a lot of times the fans are close to the fairway. You can yell &#8216;fore&#8217; but it doesn&#8217;t matter from 300 yards, you can&#8217;t hear it.&#8221;

Woman’s Eyeball ‘Explodes’ After Being Hit In Face With American Player’s Golf Ball At Ryder Cup

Golf is a game of honor and integrity. In what other sport do the athletes call penalties on themselves?
So it&#8217;s no surprise that golfers at the highest level of the game are honest men &#8212; like Jack Nicklaus, often considered the greatest player ever.
Nicklaus, who won 18 major championships, the most in history, came to the defense of another all-time great, Tiger Woods, who himself holds 14 major trophies, second only to the Golden Bear. Woods, you&#8217;ll remember, made news this week when he said that the office of the presidency should be respected &#8212; no matter who inhabits the White House.
Nicklaus agrees.
&#8220;No matter who&#8217;s president &#8212; whether it was Barack Obama or Donald Trump &#8212; I think you respect the office, and I&#8217;m much in Tiger&#8217;s camp on that,&#8221; Nicklaus said Wednesday in an appearance on &#8220;Fox and Friends.&#8221;
&#8220;I thought Tiger handled it very well,&#8221; Nicklaus said.
The whole gotcha&#8217; game began Sunday after Woods had just completed his final round at a PGA Tour event in New Jersey. Answering questions from the media, sweat still pouring down his forehead, Woods was asked: &#8220;Your relationship with Donald Trump, how would you describe that personally and professionally?&#8221;
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&#8220;I&#8217;ve known Donald for a number of years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve played golf together. We&#8217;ve had dinner together. And so, yeah, I&#8217;ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency.&#8221;
The writer &#8212; of course from The New York Times &#8212; followed up.
&#8220;At a time, especially 2018, I think a lot of people, especially people of color, immigrants feel threatened by him, by his policies. He&#8217;s thrown himself in sports debates in terms of race with [NBA player] LeBron James, with the [national] anthem. What do you say to people who might find it interesting, I guess, that you have a friendly relationship with him?&#8221;
Woods then delivered the most diplomatic of answers.
&#8220;Well, he&#8217;s the president of the United States and you have to respect the office. And no matter who&#8217;s in the office, you may like, dislike the personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office,&#8221; Woods said.
<blockquote>
He&#8217;s the president of the United States and you have to respect the office. And no matter who&#8217;s in the office, you may like, dislike the personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office.
-Tiger Woods
</blockquote>
The reporter from the liberal paper tried one last time.
&#8220;Do you have anything to say more broadly about the state, I guess, the discourse of race relations?&#8221;
&#8220;No,&#8221; Woods said with a slight smile. &#8220;I just finished 72 holes and I&#8217;m really hungry.&#8221;
Everybody was pretty much OK with Woods&#8217; answer &#8212; everybody but ESPN&#8217;s Max Kellerman. ESPN, you&#8217;ll recall, has been hemorrhaging viewers, especially after the network began dabbling in partisan politics. (Case in point: Last year, ESPN star Jemele Hill famously called Trump a &#8220;white supremacist.&#8221;)
Kellerman ripped Woods&#8217; answer, saying it was a &#8220;thoughtless statement dressed up as a thoughtful statement.&#8221;
&#8220;It either holds in contempt the intelligence of people who hear it or else it&#8217;s just a stupid thing to say. &#8230; To say you must have respect for the office &#8212; Tiger, be clear. Are you saying that the office, therefore, confers respect onto its present temporary occupant? No. Having respect for the office means principally, in my view, is the office holder should have respect for the office,&#8221; he said.
He blathered on. &#8220;We are held to a standard of behavior, we at our jobs, right, people in their daily lives. The president, if anything, is held to a higher standard of behavior. It is not such that we have such great respect for the office that no matter what the behavior of its occupant, we must respect the occupant because of the office. No. Tiger Woods &#8230; is being slick. We must respect the office therefore that confers respect to the occupant. Tiger, is that is what you are saying? If that is what you are saying, that is a stupid comment.&#8221;
Kellerman&#8217;s co-host, Stephen A. Smith, simply declared that Woods is &#8220;not black.&#8221; Huh?
Trump saw the ham-handed move for what it was: a weak attempt to sandbag a world-class athlete.
&#8220;The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn&#8217;t want to say. Tiger wouldn&#8217;t play the game &#8212; he is very smart. More importantly, he is playing great golf again!&#8221; he tweeted on Monday.

Jack Nicklaus Backs Tiger On Trump: ‘Respect The Office’

ESPN

Tiger Woods plays golf for a living.
But after completing 72 holes in a Professional Golf Association tournament, sports writers &#8212; for some reason &#8212; wanted to know his stance on race relations in America, and especially his feelings toward President Trump.
After his final round Sunday, sweat still pouring from his forehead, Woods was asked by a sports writer: &#8220;Your relationship with Donald Trump, how would you describe that personally and professionally?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve known Donald for a number of years,&#8221; Woods said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve played golf together. We&#8217;ve had dinner together. And so, yeah, I&#8217;ve known him pre-presidency and obviously during his presidency,&#8221; Woods said.
The writer &#8212; <a href="https://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/2018/08/27/president-trump-tiger-woods-northern-trust/">reportedly</a> from The New York Times &#8212; followed up.
&#8220;At a time, especially 2018, I think a lot of people, especially people of color, immigrants feel threatened by him, by his policies. He&#8217;s thrown himself in sports debates in terms of race with [NBA player] LeBron James, with the [national] anthem. What do you say to people who might find it interesting, I guess, that you have a friendly relationship with him?&#8221;
Woods&#8217; answer was perfect &#8212; exactly the answer all Americans, including limousine liberals in Hollywood, should give when asked.
&#8220;Well, he&#8217;s the president of the United States and you have to respect the office. And no matter who&#8217;s in the office, you may like, dislike the personality or the politics, but we all must respect the office,&#8221; Woods said.
The writer tried yet again.
&#8220;Do you have anything to say more broadly about the state, I guess, the discourse of race relations?&#8221;
&#8220;No,&#8221; Woods said with a slight smile. &#8220;I just finished 72 holes and I&#8217;m really hungry.&#8221;
THAT is how you answer a question about the President of the United States if you&#8217;re an athlete or an actor or a musician &#8212; or a plumber or a welder, for that matter. He IS the president and that post commands respect. You can disagree with his politics and his policies (note that Woods never endorses anything about Trump), but the office itself must be respected.
Woods, by the way, has played golf with lots of presidents, including Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama. He never teed it up with George W. Bush because the 43rd president cut back on golf during his second term.
Trump joined the fray by posting on Twitter: &#8220;The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn&#8217;t want to say. Tiger wouldn&#8217;t play the game &#8211; he is very smart. More importantly, he is playing great golf again!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The Fake News Media worked hard to get Tiger Woods to say something that he didn&#8217;t want to say. Tiger wouldn&#8217;t play the game &#8211; he is very smart. More importantly, he is playing great golf again!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1034072454086447104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>

Tiger Woods Absolutely Nails Answer When Asked About President Trump

Golf is a frustrating game. But there usually aren&#8217;t serious injuries on the links (except to the spine &#8212; and often the ego).
But things got out of hand at a Massachusetts golf club on Friday when two men got into a massive brawl that left one severely injured.
&#8220;Police were called to the Southers Marsh Golf Club in Plymouth around 6:30 p.m. for a report of an &#8216;altercation&#8217; between two players, Plymouth Police Chief Michael Botieri told Boston25 News. When they arrived, they found one man suffering a &#8216;bite injury to the hand,'&#8221; <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/08/19/man-bites-off-golfers-finger-to-knuckle-at-massachusetts-golf-club.html">Fox News</a> reported.
&#8220;Firefighters arrived at the scene and discovered the victim had one of his thumbs bitten off to his knuckle, <a href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/victims-finger-bitten-off-in-massachusetts-golf-course-brawl/22762867">WCVB</a> reported.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;Be advised an update from the PD. Apparently there are two foursomes that got into an alteration and there&#8217;s been a finger that&#8217;s been bitten off&#8230;the victim&#8217;s laying on the main entrance road between three golf carts,&#8221; the dispatcher said, according to the station.
The man was taken to the hospital and treated for his bite injury. His condition as of Sunday was not released.
It&#8217;s unclear what led to the fight or whether alcohol was involved.
</blockquote>
Alcohol on the golf course? Unheard of!
A 47-year-old man was arrested and charged with &#8220;mayhem,&#8221; which means &#8220;malicious intent to maim or disfigure.&#8221; The charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
The &#8220;mayhem&#8221; came the same day a professional golfer smashed his club into the ground in anger during a Web.com event in Oregon. Kevin Stadler&#8217;s club head broke off and flew into the gallery and &#8220;hit a spectator in the head, causing injuries that required six stitches, according to Orlando Pope, a Web.com Tour rules official who got an explanation from players in the group,&#8221; <a href="http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/24410189/spectator-hit-head-broken-club-webcom-event-requires-stitches">ESPN</a> reported.
<blockquote>
&#8220;It was a very freakish accident,&#8221; Pope said via phone from Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, where the third round was being played Saturday. &#8220;Kevin is devastated. He had trouble trying to finish the round. He was quite worried and felt so bad.&#8221;
</blockquote>
The lesson: Some people just shouldn&#8217;t play golf!

FORE! (Or Four?) Man Bites Off Golfer’s Thumb To The Knuckle At Massachusetts Golf Club

The Washington Post, which President Trump derides as &#8220;fake news,&#8221; apparently isn&#8217;t bothering to do its own reporting anymore.
Instead, the paper owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos is asking readers to help identify some of Trump golfing partners.
&#8220;Without further ado, we ask your help,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/07/27/help-us-identify-trumps-unknown-golf-partners/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.ba0bae5cb8dd">Post wrote</a> on Friday. &#8220;The tool below indicates those days on which we think Trump has played golf and, when we know, his partners. In some cases, we&#8217;re trying to confirm people who we believe have played with Trump. For many other days, we have no idea. If you think you might have some insight, click the &#8216;Have a tip?&#8217; button for the appropriate day and tell us what you know. (It will open a blank email.)&#8221;
The Post said it doesn&#8217;t know who Trump played golf with on most of the days Trump is supposed to have played golf. &#8220;On 81 of the 111 days, we think Trump has played golf as president, we have no idea who his partner might have been. Thanks to the White House pool, local news reports, social media posts and, most significantly, data compiled by TrumpGolfCount.com, we do know some of his partners,&#8221; the Post said.
<blockquote>
Most are members of the clubs where he plays the most: Trump International, near Mar-a-Lago in Florida; his club in Sterling, Va.; and Bedminster, in New Jersey. He regularly plays with current or former professional golfers, including big names like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. He&#8217;s played with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on at least three occasions, and with members of his administration or the Senate on a number of others.
</blockquote>
To the Post, there should be no privacy for the president, even on the golf course. The Post says playing golf means &#8220;Trump holds three-hour-long meetings with unknown individuals multiple times a month.&#8221; &#8230;
But often, Trump plays on his own facilities so the press isn&#8217;t allowed in.
&#8220;In part this is because Trump chooses to play on courses where he can keep outside observers from seeing what&#8217;s going on. That also means that it&#8217;s often hard to learn about his partners and, further, to confirm that he was joined on the course,&#8221; the article reads.
&#8220;He might have spent three hours on Saturday chatting with the head of a firm that will soon learn that it is exempt from certain tariffs. We simply don&#8217;t know,&#8221; wrote the Post. &#8220;Perhaps you do.&#8221;
So, you do the work. For a D.C. newspaper. For free.
Billionaire Bezos thanks you.

YOU DO THE WORK: Washington Post Begs Readers To Help Identify Trump’s Golf Partners

Washington Post

Riddle: How can someone get a birdie and a double bogey on the same hole?
Professional golfer Kelly Kraft did just that when he was was playing the par-3 14th hole on Friday at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. He hit a 7-iron toward the green, but his ball hit a bird in midair and plopped into the water. Kraft went on to double bogey the hole &#8212; and missed the cut by just one stroke.
&#8220;Kraft told PGATour.com the bad break cost him the cut,&#8221; <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/04/15/golfer-kelly-kraft-hits-bird-in-flight-with-tee-shot-misses-cut-by-one-stroke.html">Fox News</a> reported. &#8220;He said his tee shot felt perfect and was on a good line until fate took over.&#8221;
<blockquote>
&#8220;It cost me the cut, most likely,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There was a helping wind, and I hit a 7-iron, caught it perfect.
&#8220;It was probably 30 yards off the tee box and this giant, black bird swooped in front of it and hit it and the ball fell 20 yards short in the water.
&#8220;It would&#8217;ve been in the middle of the green. It might have been close. I got screwed.&#8221;
Kraft&#8217;s group asked for a ruling, figuring the player would simply re-tee without penalty. Instead, because the bird is not a man-made object, Kraft had to play it as a ball in the water.
The Texan said a large black bird flew off unharmed after it was hit with the glancing blow.
</blockquote>
PETA, of course, got involved.
&#8220;PETA is glad the bird is OK and sorry Kelly Kraft didn&#8217;t advance, but that&#8217;s not the bird&#8217;s fault,&#8217;&#8217; PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement provided to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2018/04/14/peta-bird-hit-kelly-kraft-tee-shot-rbc-heritage-pga/518103002/">USA TODAY</a> Sports Saturday. &#8220;Of course, he would have advanced if he&#8217;d played better on other holes &#8212; so practice, practice, practice.
&#8220;To tournament holders: If animals are ever injured, they must be taken to a veterinarian right away.&#8221;
Kraft, though, took the whole thing in stride.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dang bird, shouldn&#8217;t of been flying there! Only on freaky Friday the 13th I suppose. Oh well, onto the next. See y&#8217;all <a href="https://twitter.com/Zurich_Classic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Zurich_Classic</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/teamgainz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#teamgainz</a> <a href="https://t.co/4XkGSZivxD">https://t.co/4XkGSZivxD</a>
&#8212; Kelly Kraft (@kkraft11) <a href="https://twitter.com/kkraft11/status/984927225702244352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>

Pro Golfer Hits Bird With Tee Shot, Misses Cut By 1 Stroke

PETA

Within minutes of his big win at the Masters this weekend, Patrick Reed became the subject of online outrage over a regrettable hot mic incident back in 2014 for which he has publicly apologized.
In a moment highlighted by <a href="https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2018/04/08/huffpost-reporter-deletes-tweet-congratulating-bigot-patrick-reed-after-winning-the-2018-masters/">Twitchy</a>, Huffington Post senior editor <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/paige-lavender">Paige Lavender</a> posted then quickly deleted a tweet congratulating Reed on his $1.98 million win on Sunday. The reason her congratulations couldn&#8217;t stand: Reed is a &#8220;terrible&#8221; &#8220;bigot&#8221;:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I deleted this because I didn&#8217;t realize how terrible/what a bigot this guy was. Booooo. <a href="https://t.co/2x5JVwy1Se">pic.twitter.com/2x5JVwy1Se</a>
&#8212; Paige Lavender (@paigelav) <a href="https://twitter.com/paigelav/status/983123033979326464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Well, apparently not always nice: <a href="https://t.co/EtHEWogCsw">https://t.co/EtHEWogCsw</a>
Blah. <a href="https://t.co/RAYFPVRBWg">https://t.co/RAYFPVRBWg</a>
&#8212; Paige Lavender (@paigelav) <a href="https://twitter.com/paigelav/status/983120614914449408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
So what is Lavender virtue-signaling about? Reed once muttered a gay slur upon missing a putt during the WGC-HSBC championship in China that was caught by the Golf Channel&#8217;s live broadcast.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t f*****g three-putt you f*****g faggot,&#8221; Reed said to himself, a comment that was immediately rebuked by Golf Channel announcer Frank Nobilo, who described it as something that &#8220;could be interpreted as being homophobic.&#8221;
In a piece for Golf, Eamon Lynch put the spotlight on Reed&#8217;s comment, and though he noted that Reed had apologized for it, Lynch turned the incident into a broader discussion of &#8220;<a href="http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/patrick-reed-gay-slur-during-wgc-hsbc-champions-brings-pga-tour-issue-open">golf&#8217;s ugly issues of bigotry</a>&#8220;:
<blockquote>
Reed later tweeted an apology, saying his passion to play well got the better of him. Golf can do strange things to men, though a cynic might note that Reed&#8217;s Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has suffered putting woes for 25 years and has yet to be overheard berating himself with homophobic slurs. But then such moments reveal the character of professional sportsmen. &#8230;
While there have been several prominent gay women on the LPGA Tour, there isn&#8217;t a single open homosexual on the PGA Tour, and not many more even within the broader golf world. If I wander down a fairway at Augusta National, it is tantamount to a Pride parade. But then the Tour has never reflected the country at large, even beyond the demographics of gender, race and sexuality. If you rely on the PGA Tour&#8217;s image of its &#8220;family,&#8221; you might conclude that families contain no cheats, drug abusers, wife beaters or other degenerates.-pga-tour-issue-open.
</blockquote>
As Twitchy points out, Reed should expect the criticism from the Left to continue, particularly with these images recirculating:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Big day for Patrick Reed at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Masters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Masters</a> after an amazing showing yesterday! Fun family throwback from 2014 when he won at <a href="https://twitter.com/TrumpDoral?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TrumpDoral</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/PReedGolf?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PReedGolf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoodLuck?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoodLuck</a> <a href="https://t.co/ohKALmOTYw">pic.twitter.com/ohKALmOTYw</a>
&#8212; Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricTrump/status/982931737717215233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Patrick Reed got George W. Bush to re-create his infamous shush pose. Amazing. <a href="http://t.co/AkcdyFVAVk">http://t.co/AkcdyFVAVk</a> <a href="http://t.co/V6LCW4HaWp">pic.twitter.com/V6LCW4HaWp</a>
&#8212; Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) <a href="https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/651870386108239872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
</div>

HuffPost Editor Slams Winner Of Masters As ‘Bigot’ For 2014 Comment

Huffington Post

Sexuality

If you utter the bizarre phrase, &#8220;Dilly, Dilly,&#8221; made annoyingly popular by a Bud Light beer ad, you&#8217;ll be unceremoniously booted from the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National this weekend.
According to CBS News, security officials at Augusta released a list of &#8220;banned phrases&#8221; to all Augusta staff, and top on the list is the brewing company&#8217;s latest signature tagline. Say it, and security will remove you from the tournament, no questions asked.
The editor of <a href="http://www.bunkered.co.uk/golf-news/augusta-national-security-handed-phrase-sheet">golf magazine, Bunkered</a>, confirmed the rumor.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Just been told security staff at Augusta National have been handed a sheet with a list of sayings that are prohibited. I&#8217;m told &#8220;dilly dilly&#8221; is one of them. Patrons who shout out these phrases will be &#8220;removed&#8221; immediately. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/themasters?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#themasters</a>
&#8212; Bryce Ritchie (@Bryce_bunkered) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bryce_bunkered/status/980870611525357569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
Apparently, golf fans have taken to screaming &#8220;Dilly, Dilly&#8221; at certain major PGA contenders, right after the tee off. According to Bunkered, this season&#8217;s tournaments have suffered from &#8220;rowdy fans,&#8221; who refuse to simply clap quietly after landmark shots, and are instead rewarding golfers like Phil Mickelson with faux-Medieval shouts of appreciation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Watching golf and after Mickelson teed off, someone yelled &#8220;dilly, dilly&#8221;
&#8212; Sports and Whatever (@sportspuzzle) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportspuzzle/status/959545298635972609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
The &#8220;Dilly, Dilly&#8221; wars came to a head at the Honda Classic in February when Justin Thomas had a fan forcibly ejected from the tournament for shouting at him while he teed off. Thomas later <a href="http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/22589814/justin-thomas-apologizes-having-spectator-ejected">admitted he&#8217;d made a mistake</a> and that his own actions actually made the situation worse, but not until after the &#8220;Dilly, Dilly&#8221; gauntlet had been thrown.
Such nonsense will not be allowed to deface the hallowed greens of Augusta, however, even if the occasional fan outburst does make golf somewhat more exciting.

DILLY, DILLY: Beer Ad Phrase BANNED From Augusta National During Masters Tournament

Alcohol

Golf is one of the few remaining sports that continues to honor strong etiquette codes, including things like not being a jerk when a golfer is trying to make a shot. At the Farmer&#8217;s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego on Sunday, one fan decided to violate that code while Tiger Woods was trying to make a key putt for birdie.
In the middle of his backswing, someone from the crowd yelled out, &#8220;Get in the hole!&#8221;
Woods missed the putt and revealed his frustration afterward.
Even more annoyed was the crowd, who responded in disgust, several yelling, &#8220;Get him out of here!&#8221; and &#8220;Throw him out!&#8221;
Here&#8217;s the moment, originally posted by Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Kenny Ducey:
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Some idiot yelled in Tiger&#8217;s back swing for birdie&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/yHcYfMVkGZ">pic.twitter.com/yHcYfMVkGZ</a>
&#8212; Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForePlayPod/status/957674771713613825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
But as <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/sports/fan-catches-culprit-yelled-tiger-woods-backswing-video-get-f-outta-225103038.html">Yahoo </a><a href="https://www.yahoo.com/sports/fan-catches-culprit-yelled-tiger-woods-backswing-video-get-f-outta-225103038.html">Sports</a> points out, the &#8220;moron&#8221; was unable to conceal his identity.
A fan in the gallery caught the dude on video just as an official came over to reprimand him. The videotaping fan was far less cordial than the official.
<div class="embed tweet"></div>
&#8220;Get the f*** out of here, man!&#8221; said the fan. &#8220;You knew Tiger Woods was putting. Why did you yell, &#8216;Get in the hole&#8217;?&#8221;
WATCH (warning language):
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Public enemy no. 1 <a href="https://t.co/4SpGRWUvDX">pic.twitter.com/4SpGRWUvDX</a>
&#8212; Fore Play (@ForePlayPod) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForePlayPod/status/957978837014536193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
</div>
Woods, who is working on a comeback, went on to finish the tournament <a href="http://www.espn.com/golf/leaderboard">tied for 23rd</a> at 3 under par.

WATCH: Guy Who Yelled During Tiger Woods’ Swing BUSTED By Fellow Fan (Warning: Language)

Forget the devastating WikiLeaks report that a New York Times reporter used to feed then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all the stories the liberal newspaper was going to post ahead of time so she could prep a defense (or create a diversion). No, to CNN, the big story is still President Trump playing golf.
On Saturday, the MSM went nuts with stories about Trump golfing, many noting it was his fifth outing in as many days. Former president Barack Obama, in case you don&#8217;t remember, did exactly the same thing during his winter breaks in Hawaii. But he was The Chosen One! This guy&#8217;s the devil incarnate!
CNN has been all over Trump&#8217;s golf (after downplaying Obama&#8217;s 333 rounds during his presidency). Earlier this week, they crept through a hole in some bushes so they could film Trump golfing. Then they moaned like little girls when someone parked a big box truck at their sneak-in point (read this <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/25243/conspiracy-solved-cnn-figures-out-who-used-truck-ryan-saavedra">Daily Wire</a> report to find out who parked the truck there).
And now, &#8220;The Most Trusted Name In News&#8221; has done an entire report &#8212; complete with panelists! &#8212; on the planting of new trees in the access point to keep people out.
Forget that the hole in the hedges is no doubt a security issue for the president (can you imagine if Fox News had done the same thing with Obama?). CNN sees a massive right-wing conspiracy to prevent the American people from learning the truth &#8212; that Trump sometimes plays golf.
&#8220;Today, CNN news cameras did not get any video of President Trump playing golf, and here&#8217;s why,&#8221; CNN host Ana Cabrera reported on Saturday. &#8220;Where CNN cameras were once positioned, trees appeared. Yes, new trees are being planted there.&#8221;
Then CNN went to the weirdest &#8220;expert&#8221; panel ever gathered &#8212; Republican Andre Bower, former lieutenant governor of South Carolina, and Democrat Michael Nutter, former mayor of Philadelphia. Why these two guys? Because it&#8217;s the end of the year and anyone who matters is on vacation.
With her lead-in question, Cabrera said: &#8220;If you wanna&#8217; play golf, just golf. What&#8217;s with the secrecy?&#8221;
The answers from the two &#8220;experts&#8221; were just too dumb to transcribe (but you can <a href="http://kdvr.com/2017/12/30/trees-planted-where-cnn-filmed-trump-golfing/">watch it here</a> if you&#8217;ve got absolutely nothing else to do). We will note, though, that Nutter called it &#8220;tragic.&#8221; Tragic.
Twitter, of course, weighed in on the huge story.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Potus</a> :You&#8217;re a slacker if&#8230;you need 2 plant trees, park large boxtrucks 2 block eyes/cameras on you golfing. You said you&#8217;d be working. PS Where can one get golf slacks w/a golfcart attached like yours? Really -more work &gt;&gt; less play. <a href="https://t.co/4sY0Quagfo">https://t.co/4sY0Quagfo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LazytRump?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LazytRump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Liar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Liar</a>
&#8212; kc brown (@kcbrown83) <a href="https://twitter.com/kcbrown83/status/947372132123557888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
It appears Trump doesn&#8217;t like people taking pictures if him playing golf at his Mar a Lago resort. So he had more trees planted. Is he going to make the American taxpayers pay for the trees?
&#8212; Michael Orr (@Michael_E_Orr) <a href="https://twitter.com/Michael_E_Orr/status/947509143908356096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Trees have been planted on one of President Trump&#8217;s golf courses where CNN cameras captured him golfing. CNN&#8217;s Ana Cabrera reports &#8211; President hard at Work!
&#8212; Tamre Hughes (@tamre_hughes) <a href="https://twitter.com/tamre_hughes/status/947294618663772161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
But some took aim at CNN.
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Why is this news? And why is this story (about trees being planted and blocking CNN&#8217;s view of filming a golf course) in the Politics section?? 
Trees planted where CNN filmed Trump golfing <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNPolitics</a> <a href="https://t.co/rDzji9GThI">https://t.co/rDzji9GThI</a>
&#8212; Melissa Redding (@melissahredding) <a href="https://twitter.com/melissahredding/status/947509802980315141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
CNN REVEALS SECURITY MEASURES DURING A U.S. PRESIDENTIAL GOLF EVENT &#8211; WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF CNN? HOW WOULD CNN RESPOND IF OTHER MEDIA SPOTLIGHTS THEIR EXECUTIVE SECURITY PLANS? <a href="https://t.co/JHTO04h7l1">https://t.co/JHTO04h7l1</a>
&#8212; Robert Remington (@rrrremington) <a href="https://twitter.com/rrrremington/status/947267765877878784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
</div>
And that, people, is a wrap for CNN in 2017.

BREAKING! Trees Planted Where CNN Snuck Through Bushes To Film Trump Golfing

President Donald Trump shut down his private golf club on Friday to allow 60 service members from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to play there for free as a thank you for their service.
The USCG service members participated in a &#8220;four-man scramble at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach,&#8221; where President Trump also treated them to lunch, the <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-spends-day-golfing-with-members-of-coast-guard/article/2644570">Washington Examiner</a> reported.
&#8220;Today, President Donald Trump invited service members of the US Coast Guard from Station Lake Worth Inlet to lunch and to play golf at Trump International Golf Course,&#8221; Hogan Gidley, deputy White House press secretary, said. &#8220;The President wanted to personally thank these brave people for their selfless service to this great nation.&#8221;
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Today <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> invited service members of the US Coast Guard from Station Lake Worth Inlet to lunch &amp; to play golf at Trump International Golf Course. The President wanted to personally thank these brave people for their selfless service to this great nation.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MAGA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MAGA</a> <a href="https://t.co/135i37gekr">pic.twitter.com/135i37gekr</a>
&#8212; Hogan Gidley (@hogangidley45) <a href="https://twitter.com/hogangidley45/status/946808386766737408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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President Trump, who also provided sandwiches to Coast Guard service members on Thanksgiving, has spent the holidays at Mar-a-Lago and has frequented the Trump International Golf Club &#8212; where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/25148/watch-box-truck-arrives-golf-course-block-cnn-ryan-saavedra">CNN stalked him from the bushes</a> for most of the week.
WATCH:
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WATCH: Trump Shuts Down His Golf Club To Let Coast Guard Play, Pays For Their Lunch

Mar-a-Lago

Trump Administration

Former president Barack Obama played 333 rounds of golf while in the White House. That&#8217;s a round nearly every week of every month of the eight years he was in office.
Of course, the media that worshipped The Chosen One rarely filmed him as he played.
But President Trump is different. In a creepy video &#8212; dubbed &#8220;EXCLUSIVE&#8221; &#8212; CNN aired footage of President Trump playing golf on the day after Christmas. The video appears to be have been shot through some bushes or from behind a stand of trees.
The video was touted on Twitter by &#8220;fake news&#8221; CNN reporter Manu Raju, who said the film was &#8220;captured by CNN cameras.&#8221;
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Trump on the golf course today, captured by CNN cameras <a href="https://t.co/hctg9sO23e">https://t.co/hctg9sO23e</a>
&#8212; Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/945787636756738051?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Manu Raju, you&#8217;ll remember, was responsible for the erroneous CNN report earlier this month that Donald Trump Jr. and senior Trump campaign officials &#8212; possibly even Trump himself &#8212; received an email on September 4, 2016, directing them to what CNN said were unreleased WikiLeaks documents that may have been hacked from the Democratic National Committee.
But the date was wrong &#8212; and the date was the whole story. Turns out the email was sent on September 14. WikiLeaks dumped a trove of documents on September 13, so someone sending Trump Jr. an email on the 14th &#8212; the day after the dump &#8212; means that someone was simply alerting him to the fact that there were documents out there, publicly available.
Raju was forced to put out an embarrassing correction &#8212; but there were no consequences from CNN for reporting such a horribly wrong story.
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CORRECTION: Email to Trump and Trump Jr. from individual offering Wikileaks documents came Sept. 14 &#8212; not Sept. 4 &#8212; as we reported earlier. Email pointed to docs Trump camp could get publicly. <a href="https://t.co/4FOdCebgQL">https://t.co/4FOdCebgQL</a>
&#8212; Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/939234692955607040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2017</a></blockquote>
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By the way, while Trump plays to a 2.6 handicap (which means he&#8217;s shooting close to par every time he plays &#8212; quite a feat for a 70 year old), Obama was a notoriously bad golfer, as shown in the clip below &#8212; listen for the photographer to say &#8220;Boy, he sucks!&#8221; with a hearty laugh as he and another guy giggle. The cell phone flying off the belt is also hilarious, as are the massive divots.
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Also interesting was the day Obama jumped off to the golf course immediately after speaking about the beheading of an American journalist.
In a &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; interview in 2014, Obama said he &#8220;should have anticipated the optics&#8221; because &#8220;part of the job is the theater of it,&#8221; conceding &#8220;it&#8217;s not something that comes naturally&#8221; to him.
The optics. That&#8217;s what Obama was concerned about, not the brutal beheading of James Foley, killed as a payback for U.S. airstrikes against the terror group ISIS.
But to the MSM, everything Obama did was right, everything Trump does is wrong.

CREEPY: CNN Films Trump Playing Golf — From The Bushes?

President Trump is arguably the best golfer ever to inhabit the White House. Although he doesn&#8217;t exactly have a golfer&#8217;s physique, the 70-year-old president sports a 2.8 handicap &#8212; which means he often shoots par, or sometimes even below par.
He&#8217;s been a golfer all his life and when he made a fortune in the real estate market, he started buying up golf courses. Unlike former presidents, who often went to presidential retreat Camp David for weekends and home for holidays, Trump heads to his golf resort 30 miles outside Washington, D.C. or to Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla.
One more thing: Because he&#8217;s rich (and now, president), Trump doesn&#8217;t play with your average group of weekend hackers. Take Friday, when he teed off with this group: Tiger Woods, one of the greatest golfers in history, Dustin Johnson, the world&#8217;s No. 1 player, and Brad Faxon, an eight-time winner on the Professional Golfers&#8217; Association tour.
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After Turkey call I will be heading over to Trump National Golf Club, Jupiter, to play golf (quickly) with Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson. Then back to Mar-a-Lago for talks on bringing even more jobs and companies back to the USA!
&#8212; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/934031535757582336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Faxon penned a column for <a href="http://golfweek.com/2017/11/25/exclusive-brad-faxons-takeaways-from-a-round-with-tiger-woods-and-donald-trump/">Golfweek</a> detailing the round of golf with the famous foursome, praising the president for his hospitality &#8212; although he did rib him first.
&#8220;I kind of busted his chops and said, &#8216;Hey, where&#8217;s the love? I thought you were going to tweet my name too!'&#8221; Faxon wrote. &#8220;He laughed, and I told him I was trying to get up to 70,000 followers on Twitter. Trump immediately replied, &#8216;I have 158 million.'&#8221; (Actually, Trump has 43.4 million followers on his personal account.)
Of his day with the president, Faxon said Trump is &#8220;a fun guy to joke around with. You would think you&#8217;d have to tip-toe around a bit with the President, but he immediately puts you at ease.&#8221;
Faxon, a member at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, even revealed that the four had split into teams to play a match.
&#8220;We played a casual best ball match with a small wager &#8212; President Trump and I played Dustin and Tiger. They played from the back tees at 7,600 yards and we played up to the blue tees at about 6,500 yards. The President was gracious and entertaining. He told some stories, things he loves about the job and things he doesn&#8217;t love. I think he was excited to be in that group and we had a lot of fun,&#8221; Faxon said.
&#8220;By the way, my 9-foot birdie putt on 18 sat on the lip to end the match all square. Kind of politically correct, isn&#8217;t it?&#8221; Faxon joked.
The former PGA player said that Tiger &#8220;looked great&#8221; &#8212; one of the few eyewitness accounts to Woods&#8217; progress since the former No. 1 player had fusion surgery on his back this year.
&#8220;I was impressed with how far he hit the ball. Probably on the 10 holes that they were both hitting driver, Tiger hit it past Dustin half the time and Dustin hit it past Tiger half the time. He looked great. I think more than anything, he looked at ease. He was not concerned about swinging hard and going at it with driver. The ball flight, the sound off the club, all of it was right there,&#8221; Faxon wrote.
And Woods&#8217; short game is there, too. &#8220;Tiger looked like he had all the touch shots down. On the very first hole he hit a pitch shot over a bunker that looked great. Hit some tough little pitch shots, tough chip shots and hit some close. Some to gimme&#8217; distance,&#8221; wrote Faxon.

Inside President Trump’s Round Of Golf With Tiger Woods And Dustin Johnson

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fell head over heels backward into a sand bunker in hilarious fashion while playing golf with President Donald Trump on Sunday.
Trump and Abe were playing at Kasumigaseki Country Club when the prime minister had the embarrassing fall, the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5064933/Japanese-PM-fell-golf-course-Trump.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailus">Daily Mail</a> reported.
&#8220;The Japanese leader had just hit his ball out of the sand, and was walking up the side when he missed his step and fell backwards,&#8221; the Mail noted. &#8220;The 63-year-old fell head over heels into the sand but was swiftly back on his feet before his aide could reach him.&#8221;
Footage of the incident revealed that Trump, an excellent golfer, missed the entire thing because he was far ahead of Abe getting ready to play his next shot.
WATCH:
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Much of Trump&#8217;s visit to Japan was overshadowed by a completely fake &#8220;scandal&#8221; manufactured by CNN that was debunked within a day.
CNN posted a video that they deceptively edited that showed Trump throwing a box of fish food into a koi pond, making it look like he got impatient and just threw all the food in the pond before Abe was able to finish feeding the fish with his box of food.
Hours later the truth came out &#8212; Abe threw his entire box of fish food into the pond before Trump did.
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Abe dumped his fish food first. <a href="https://t.co/dWZf2IDrPL">pic.twitter.com/dWZf2IDrPL</a>
&#8212; Nicholas Wadhams (@nwadhams) <a href="https://twitter.com/nwadhams/status/927454301102002176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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WATCH: Japanese Leader Hilariously Falls Backward Into Sand Bunker Playing Golf With Trump

Shinzo Abe

A Charlotte, North Carolina charity was forced to cancel their event, raising money for kids with terminal illnesses, after participants couldn;t handle the name of the event venue: the Trump National Golf Course.
The &#8220;Tri at the Trump&#8221; is a three-stage race (running, swimming and biking), where competitors raise money for various local charities that benefit children suffering from cancer and other devastating conditions.
But this year, the Tri at the Trump organizers say potential participants were triggered by the Trump name, and, over the summer, the group received several aggressive complaints about both the event, and the Trump National Golf Course. 
Last week, in an effort to save the event and distance the race from the President, organizers changed the name from &#8220;Tri at the Trump&#8221; to &#8220;Tri for Good.&#8221; &#8220;I hope by making this announcement, we can focus on what our core values are and the goals we are trying to achieve with our race,&#8221; race organizer Chuck McAllister posted to the event&#8217;s Facebook page.
But participants were still unimpressed &#8211; because the event was still being held at Trump National &#8211; and unable to fully distance themselves from the President or find another venue on short notice, the organizers cancelled the race altogether.
&#8220;The best way to avoid a situation is to not create one at all,&#8221; McCallister told the Charlotte Observer on Tuesday. McAllister went on to say that he&#8217;d bring the event back next year, though he didn&#8217;t know whether he&#8217;d keep the name or hold the next race on the Trump golf course.
The whole situation is silly and sad; the thousand dollars raised at the event could have helped needy children across the state of North Carolina, but people who couldn&#8217;t stomach even one afternoon at an event that just happened to be at a Trump-owned property had to go and ruin it.
America, this is why we can&#8217;t have nice things.

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