Why George Dubya Bush gave up golf

US President George W. Bush says he stopped playing golf in 2003 out of respect for the families of Americans killed in the war in Iraq. "I don't want some mum whose son may have recently died to see the Commander-in-Chief playing golf," Mr Bush said in an interview.

"I feel I owe it to the families to be as - to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal," he said.



Mr Bush said his last round of golf was in August 2003 when he was informed that a truck bomb had wrecked the UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

"They pulled me off the golf course and I said 'it's just not worth it any more to do'," Mr Bush said.