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The Caddie's Presidential Pardon

In an extraordinary intersection of professional golf, politics, and the American justice system, veteran PGA Tour caddie Eric Larson received an official presidential pardon from Donald Trump. The pardon, issued on September 3, 2026, erased a decades-old federal drug conviction that had suddenly threatened to derail his international career.

The story's origins trace back to a casual round of golf in December 2025 at Trump National in West Palm Beach. Larson, alongside his player Harris English, explained to Trump how a new 2025 UK immigration policy was preventing him from working at The Open Championship. The conviction from over 20 years prior had become an insurmountable professional crisis, banning him from one of golf's most prestigious events.

The connection between the two was not entirely random. Trump had first met Larson years earlier through former golf phenom Anthony Kim, highlighting the tight-knit network that exists at the highest levels of the sport. While the golf course conversation was the catalyst, Larson later emphasized that the request also went through the formal Department of Justice clemency process, adding a layer of official merit to what could have been perceived as a simple personal favor.

In a final personal touch rarely seen in such executive actions, Trump personally called both Larson and Harris English to deliver the news. The unique event provides a rare look at how a relationship forged in the elite world of golf led to an extraordinary outcome, utilizing the highest executive power in the country to solve a caddie's logistical problem.