Barack Obama fires back at Michael Jordan over golf sledge

IT’S the battle of the big boys. President Barack Obama vs NBA legend Michael Jordan in a heavyweight slanging match.

6 SEPTEMBER 2013 - G20 - SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA : President of United States of America Barack Obama holds a final press conference on the second and last day of the G20 Leaders Summit 2013. Pic: ELLA PELLEGRINI

IT’S the battle of the big boys. President Barack Obama vs NBA legend Michael Jordan in a heavyweight slanging match.

Jordan started the whole thing, when he referred to Obama as a “sh***y golfer.

The Bulls great is a handy player. A Golf Concierge list of celebrity golfers has Jordan’s handicap at four, which means he’s shooting in the mid- to high-70s.

Obama is believed to usually shoot in the mid-90s.

Jordan was asked by the Back 9 Network about his ideal golf foursome last week. He initially included Obama in there, but then took him out.

“I’ve never played with Obama, but I would,” Jordan said. “But — nah, that’s OK. I’ll take him out. He’s a hack. Man, I’d be all day playing with him.”

“Do you really want to say that?” the interviewer replied. “The president of the United States is a hack?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jordan continued. “I never said he’s wasn’t a great politician, I just said he’s a sh***y golfer.”

Obama’s powers of pursuasion send his putt home.

MJ is renowned for smoking cigars while he plays.

Now Obama has fired back.

“Mike and I, we know each other but I’ve never played golf with him,” Obama told Wisconsin radio station WJMR.

“Michael wasn’t very well informed about this ... but there is no doubt that Michael is a better golfer than I am.”

Then came the burn...

“Of course if I was playing twice a day for the last 15 years, then that might not be the case.

“He might want to spend more time thinking about the Bobcats — or the Hornets.”

Jordan has come under criticism for his ownership of the Charlotte Hornets, who have started the NBA season with one win and three losses.

“I love the man, though. He brought (the Chicago Bulls) a lot of championships,” Obama added. “He does like talking trash sometimes, even when he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”