A year before PGA Golfer Ben Crenshaw appeared on the 2000 Sports Illustrated with his bikini-clad Julie, he became known in GOP circles for maxing out with a contribution to George W. Bush. The table below shows that since he wrote those checks, golfers have proven one of the most Republican professions, giving almost three times as many checks to Republicans as Democrats.

Phil Mickelson drew fire for considering leaving California’s high state taxes, then Tiger Woods admitted he had made that decision years ago, and apparently they are not alone in wanting lower taxes. Our research on www.campaignmoney.com showed that since 1999, a total of 159 professional golfers have written checks ONLY to Republican candidates to only 52 have written checks ONLY to Democratic candidates.

Crenshaw tops the GOP checks written since 1999, writing checks only to Republicans during every Presidential cycle, as well as checks to the Texas Republican Party and Senate and Congressional candidates. The other 159 GOP-only donors from the professional golfers association also includes Nancy Lopez, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus and Mike O’Meara.

Arnold Palmer is one of only six pro golfers to give to candidates from both parties, but he gave to only Republicans except for a regular schedule of checks to the late Democratic Congressman John Murtha, the first Veteran of Vietnam to serve in Congress.

Even the top pro golfers who give to only Democrats are not known on the PGA circuit. The top donor Tom Roderick is a 30-year full-time realtor who is also a golf pro, while Eammon Coghlan’s golf was played at the University of South Alabama a few years before he wrote out $4,600 in checks to Hillary Clinton while working as a golf pro at a Houston club.

While the majority of professional athletes in baseball, hockey and basketball all planned to vote Republican this year, it appears being in a profession like golf at which you are completely responsible for paying your caddies and how much you earn each year may make golfers the most Republican athletes. The other end of the spectrum are NFL players, the only athletes from a major sport to give President Obama a majority of their votes, perhaps due to having the least favorable Labor Agreement and being the most likely to have injuries that may turn them to trial lawyers for recourse.

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Republican donors Amount Count Democrat donors Amount
Crenshaw, Ben Mr. $11,173 1 Roderick, Thomas Mr. $7,300
Merchent, Michael Mr $10,100 2 Palmer, Arnold Mr. (both) $6,000
Roberts, Loren L. Mr. $9,259 3 Coghlan, Eamonn P $4,600
Palmer, Arnold (both) $6,750 4 Hall, Nancy $4,450
Leonard, Justin $5,200 5 Dupont, Sarah $4,400
Knight, Nancy Lopez Ms. $5,000 6 Whellams, Joshua R $4,200
Suits, Francis Iii $4,800 7 Hoffmaster, Richard $3,000
Daugherty, Glen Robert Mr. (both) $4,600 8 Dougherty, Kathy (both) $2,700
Watson, Tom S. Mr. $4,511 9 Colbert, James J Jr. (both) $2,300
Cook, John $4,300 10 Duval, David $2,300
Azinger, Paul $4,200 11 Mann, Steve $2,300
Dougherty, Kathy (both) $4,200 12 Morcan, Jay $2,250
Carl, Janet Mrs. $4,100 13 Hill, Sims W Mr Jr $2,100
Zoeller, Fuzzy Mr. $4,100 14 Barber, Tom (both) $2,000
Fisher, Ross $4,050 15 Crabtree, Chris $2,000
Hill, Michael J. Mr. $3,000 16 Fleisher, Bruce L $2,000
Mize, Larry $3,000 17 Herron, Michael $2,000
Norman, Greg $3,000 18 Moher, Paul T $2,000
Floyd, Raymond L Mr. $2,600 19 Roll, Susan $1,750
Barber, Tom (both) $2,500 20 Kletcke, Robert $1,500
Coody, Charles $2,500 21 Petrole, George $1,500
Gossett, David S Mr. $2,500 22 Steranka, Joseph $1,500
Irwin, Hale S. Mr. $2,500 23 Barnett, Mike $1,000
Nicklaus, Jack W. Mr. $2,500 24 Foley, Michael $1,000
O’Meara, Mark Mr. $2,500 25 Gay, Brian $1,000
Purdy, Theodore T (both) $2,500 26 Mathies, Burt $1,000
Cox, Shawn Grant Mr. $2,300 27 Phillips, Marshall W. $1,000
Dunsmore, Michael Mr. $2,300 28 Purdy, Ted (both) $1,000
Funk, Fred $2,300 29 Dupont, Douglas W. $750
Houston, Rodney $2,300 30 Nickerson, Sandy $700
Keim, Donald R. Mr. $2,300 31 Spieller, Donald $550
Ogilvie, Joe Mr. $2,300 32 Daugherty, Glen (both) $500
Sutton, Hal $2,300 33 Fahler, Ryan C $500
Jacobsen, Jan D. Mrs. $2,250 34 Han, Keun Sang $500
Sanders, Douglas Mr. $2,250 35 Hurd, Rob $500
Beman, Deane R $2,000 36 Lopez, Arthur $500
Colbert, James J. $2,000 37 Sindelar, Joseph P. $500
Crikelair, Pamela $2,000 38 Tindall, Bill $500
Dunaway, Mike Mr. $2,000 39 Wallace, Phillip O. $500
Green, Hubert M $2,000 40 Furgol, Henry J. Jr. $450
Kite, Thomas O Mr. Jr. $2,000 41 Ballantyne, Elan $400
Kostis, Peter $2,000 42 Birt, Derek $250
Lietzke, Bruce Mr. $2,000 43 Bishop, Ted $250
Love, Davis M Mr. $2,000 44 Blackmon, Will $250
Schroeder, J. L. $2,000 45 Cavicchi, Thomas A. $250
Sluman, Jeff Mr. $2,000 46 Colucci, Joseph J. $250
Toms, David $2,000 47 Cooper, John $250
Orourke, Edward $1,750 48 Dirico, Thomas J $250
Aaron, Tommy $1,700 49 Hall, Terry $250
Forsman, Dan Mr. $1,700 50 Horgan, Patrick Iii $250
Wimberly, Guy $1,550 51 Johnson, Howard A. $250
Pott, John F Mr $1,500 52 Manges, Richard E. $250
Nervick, Peter $1,250 53 Price, Patricia L. $250
Marchand, Paul Mr. $1,200 54 Reid, Charlie $250
Simpson, Scott $1,050 55 Stacy, Hollis $250
Brown, Olin Mr. $1,000 56 Trowbridge, Melissa $250
Calbot, Michael F $1,000 57 Vidulich, Thomas $250
Chancellor, Warren E. Mr. Jr. $1,000 58 Greenwell, Kevin $200
Colbert, James J Jr (both) $1,000 59 St Clair, Joanna L $200
Diehl, Terrence $1,000 60    
Douglass, Dale $1,000 61    
Elizabeth Morrow $1,000 62    
Essig, Iii, Don $1,000 63    
Koch, Gary D. $1,000 64    
Kostis, Sandy $1,000 65    
Murphy, James K. Mr. $1,000 66    
O’Neal Dye, Alice $1,000 67    
Parker, Tammie G $1,000 68    
Pate, Jerry $1,000 69    
Rand, William $1,000 70    
Reid, Michael $1,000 71    
Renkes, Maureen $1,000 72    
Rollins, Scott C. Mr. $1,000 73    
Rosendahl, Lynn H. $1,000 74    
Summers, Stephen R $1,000 75    
Wadkins, Jerry L Jr $1,000 76    
Watts, Edwin $1,000 77    
Waynick, Elizabeth S $1,000 78    
Williams, Evan $1,000 79    
Fitzhugh, Cary G Mr. $900 80    
Kelly, Glenn Mr. $800 81    
Nicol, Ron Mr. $757 82    
Gibson, Kelly Mr. $750 83    
Morrow, Elizabeth $750 84    
Riley, Christopher J Mr. $750 85    
Thompson, Leonard $750 86    
Bin, Richard Mr. $700 87    
Johnson, Christa Anne Ms. $700 88    
Ferree, Jim Mr. $650 89    
Lowell, Walter $600 90    
Ball, Steve $500 91    
Bell, Peggy $500 92    
Burns, Randy Mr. $500 93    
Cole, Clayton $500 94    
Collins, Cary $500 95    
Couples, Fred $500 96    
Dalton, Tolbert M Iii $500 97    
Digiacomo, Mark Mr. $500 98    
Elliott, Robert A Mr. $500 99    
Flynn, Robert W Mr. $500 100    
Johnson, Zachary H. $500 101    
Light, Robert A $500 102    
Marino, Maria $500 103    
Mcqueen, Jim $500 104    
Olson, Tanya $500 105    
Orlosky, Kevin A Mr. $500 106    
Patten, Zeb $500 107    
Preisler, David $500 108    
Preisler, Debbie $500 109    
Rogers, Bill Mr. $500 110    
Scott, Ken M $500 111    
Sipe, Brent A $500 112    
Smith, Jeffrey M $500 113    
Stefanik, Matthew $500 114    
Stewart, James E Mr. $500 115    
Summerhays, Bruce P $482 116    
Jacobs, Tommy Mr. $475 117    
King, William $450 118    
L Schroeder, John Mr. $400 119    
Anthony-Ryan, Terri A $300 120    
Carman, J.R. $300 121    
Jerauld, Jill J $300 122    
Landrey, Frank E Mr. $300 123    
Mast, Richard L Mr. Jr. $300 124    
Mc Williams, Kevin Mr. $300 125    
Neidlinger, William $300 126    
Nieporte, Tom Mr. Sr. $300 127    
Creagh, Darwin W Mr. $275 128    
Randall, Frank H. Iii $271 129    
Blackwelder, Myra $250 130    
Blanton, Bufort C. $250 131    
Brown, Tim L. Mr. $250 132    
Burke, Jack Mr. Jr. $250 133    
Cox, Gordon $250 134    
Crosby, Elaine $250 135    
Dodson, John Mr. $250 136    
Doos, Chris Mr. $250 137    
Estes, Bob Mr. $250 138    
Forsman, Daniel Mr. $250 139    
Gibbons, William D $250 140    
Guipe, Tom $250 141    
Guttman, Maurice $250 142    
James, Stuart L. Mr. $250 143    
Kelly, Jerry M. Mr. $250 144    
Lacrosse, Douglas W. $250 145    
Malen, Donald $250 146    
Mcgowan, Patrick Mr. $250 147    
Miller, J. Kenneth $250 148    
Mills, Richard B $250 149    
Pepper, Dottie Ms. $250 150    
Stockton, David W $250 151    
Taylor, Brett $250 152    
Alexander, Bif $225 153    
Hay, Virginia Mrs. $225 154    
Mattiace, Leonard Mr. $220 155    
Heit, Brent S Mr. $201 156    
Bailey, John P Mr. $200 157    
Baiocchi, Hugh J Mr. $200 158    
Craig, George J Mr. $200 159    
Gavins, John J Mr. $200 160    
Goecke, Garay W Mr. $200 161    
Haney, Hank Mr. $200 162    
Hofer, Scotty A. Mr. $200 163    
Powers, Don Mr. $200 164    
Sampson, Mark Mr. $200 165    
Total to Republicans $229,524   Total to Democrats $81,400