This week our friends down the hall at Fortune released the latest edition of the Fortune 500, their annual compilation of the 500 largest companies in the United States. Every chief executive mentioned on the list makes more money in a year than most people earn in a lifetime. But who cares what they’re worth? All that really matters is what kind of golf game they have. Here are 13 Fortune 500 CEOs who are as at home in the grill room as they are in the boardroom.
John Watson, Chevron
At the 2016 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Watson holed a wedge on the 18th for eagle, an excellent shot by an excellent golfer, who entered the event with a 2 handicap index.
Brian Roberts, Comcast
Roberts has been spotted on the lush fairways of the Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard, playing with President Barack Obama. Because POTUS has a handicap of 17, next time the two men peg it, Roberts (8.1) had best give the Commander in Cleats some shots.
Ian Read, Pfizer
Like the game itself, Read is Scottish born. He’s not a bad stick, either. His index has been listed as low as 8.2.
Steve Kandarian, MetLife
A view from the MetLife blimp (or from anywhere else, for that matter) would show Kandarian to be a 16 index who plays his pegs his ball at two upscale private clubs: Somerset Hills in New Jersey and the Lost Tree Club in Florida.
Edward Stack, Dick’s Sporting Goods
Dick’s is big into golf, and so is its CEO, whose club affiliations include such high-cachet outposts as Oakmont, the Medalist and Old Sandwich, where his index is listed as a cool 7.0.
Greg Creed, Yum Brands
Soon after taking over as CEO, Creed relaxed the company dress code by showing up to work in blue jeans. Let’s see him try that at Las Colinas Country Club, the high-end Texas club where he’s listed as an 11.3.
Walter Bettinger, Charles Schwab
When Charles Schwab named Bettinger as his successor, he gave the corner office to a lesser golfer. Not that Bettinger’s a slouch; he plays off 11.7. But in a head-to-head match against ol’ Chuck (9.1), the company founder wins on paper every time.
Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs
Not only did his investment firm get a multi-billion dollar federal bailout, the guy also gets a bounty of strokes. His handicap at Sebonack Golf Club, the exorbitant Long Island club where he belongs, is listed as a 23.4.
Virginia Rometty, IBM
The third woman admitted to Augusta National Golf Club (after Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore), Rometty has been described by a fellow Augusta member as having a “nice swing.” Apparently, looks aren’t everything. Her index is an unsightly 35.4.
Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway
Being a member of Augusta National means you’ve got a lot of money. It doesn’t mean you’ve got a lot of game. “Lucky to break 100 would be a very generous appraisal of my current abilities,” Buffett told Fortune five years ago. He was 80 at the time. As with Berkshire Hathaway stock, it’s unlikely his index has dropped since then.
James Gorman, Morgan Stanley
Here’s one from the must-be-nice department. Gorman, whose 2013 salary was a reported $18 million, has affiliations with three swish private clubs in the New York area alone, including prestigious National Golf Links. That’s hard to relate to. But his 14.7 index is well within the range of the regular guy.
Greg Henslee, O’Reilly Automotive
As the head honcho at O’Reilly, Henslee has to deal with plenty of moving parts. But his swing seems to work in reasonable sync. He plays off an 11.8.
John T. Chambers, Cisco
Chambers runs the largest networking company in the world. He also has a pretty good network of his own. Or you’d expect for a guy who plays out of Clint Eastwood-owned Tehama Golf Club, where he carries an index of 14.5.
