The very first U.S. president to admit his love for golf was William Taft. Since then, our modern presidents such as George Bush and Barack Obama can often be seen on the golf course.

(CNN) — Politics has long mixed with golf — from the early 20th century, when William Taft became the first U.S. president to openly admit his love for the game, to modern-day leaders such as Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

One of their colleagues, Gerald Ford, was the first honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup event, which will this week be contested by the U.S. and International teams for the ninth time.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard will be the first woman to fulfill the role as 24 of the world’s best non-European golfers line up in Melbourne for a series of match play contests starting on Thursday.

The Americans have dominated the biennial tournament since it was first played in 1994, with six wins and a tie. The Internationals’ only win came when Royal Melbourne Golf Club also staged the 1998 competition — and Australian PM John Howard was chairman.

Bush and his father have both served in the role, while in 2000 Bill Clinton became the first sitting United States president… continue reading

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