If Jimmy Carter played golf: rated 77, best at nerve

Jimmy Carter as a golfer: scouting report

Jimmy Carter would be the golfer who quietly posts a clean scorecard while flashier players chase birdies and make double bogeys. Nerve and course IQ lead his card, and both come from a career built on discipline. He graduated from the Naval Academy and served as an officer in the submarine service, including work on the early nuclear submarine program, an environment where calm, careful decisions are the whole job. That temperament is perfect for a tight back nine.

His putting is the best of his shotmaking skills, and his irons and short game are level with each other just behind it. That balance fits a man who worked with his hands for his whole life. He grew up farming peanuts in Plains, Georgia, and he was a skilled woodworker who built furniture in his own shop. For decades after leaving office he swung a hammer on Habitat for Humanity homes alongside volunteers around the world. Those habits of patient craft and hard work translate to a golfer who grinds over every shot and never gives one away. He also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his long work through the Carter Center.

Driving is the weak spot on his card. He keeps the ball in play but gives up distance, which makes The Long Course Championship his toughest week. His best fit is The Links Open, where steady play, a low ball flight and patience in the wind matter more than power. He was also a devoted fly fisherman, a hobby that rewards reading water and conditions, much like reading greens. Draft him in the middle rounds as a reliable grinder who will not beat himself, and pair him with a long hitter to cover the power weeks.

Plays like A disciplined grinder who keeps the card clean hole after hole

Put Jimmy Carter in your lineup

5 rolls, a team of five, four majors. Can you win the Grand Slam? Free, no account.