If the 2024 U.S. presidential election didn’t already have high enough stakes, odds have been set by an Ontario sports betting site for a hypothetical golf match between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Silly season is about to get whole lot sillier.
The first debate between Donald Trump and incumbent president Joe Biden drastically shook up the U.S. presidential election odds across our best sportsbooks in Canada. One of those books, Sports Interaction, is raising the bar by offering odds for an 18-hole head-to-head golf match between the Republican and Democratic hopefuls.
We need to preface that while the betting market states that the match must take place before the end of the 2024 calendar year, it’s highly unlikely this match will ever see the light of day.
Some may be right to think that the 81-year-old Biden and 78-year-old Trump are better suited for the golf course, but just over four months away from election day, both candidates still have all of their focus on the 2024 U.S. election.
Odds via Sports Interaction Ontario as of July 3.
The odds heavily favor Trump to win this hypothetical golf match with an implied probability of 97.09% all but assuring an easy victory.
The concept of this match began during the June 27 debate between the two presidential candidates. During said debate, Biden boasted about his 6 handicap (last updated six years ago). Trump countered that he is currently a 2.5 handicap (meaning he would shoot two or three strokes over par, on average, regardless of the course).
The former president added, “I’m in very good health. I just won two club championships, not even senior, two regular club championships.”
So, while these odds may accurately portray the differences between a 2.5 and 6 handicap, non-golf fans need to note that golf scores are only as accurate as those who are recording them are honest.
Most importantly, for our purposes, it would take a $3,300 bet on Trump to return a profit of $100 with a victory on the links.
One would also need to invest that capital without any promise of the “event” taking place, and wait until the end of the calendar year for a refund when bets are ultimately voided with no golf played between the two.
If only this election race was as hypothetical as this novelty betting market.
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* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
