A video of Donald Trump playing golf in Scotland has ignited a debate about cheating in the sport. The clip appears to show an aide discreetly dropping a ball in a favourable position just outside a bunker as Trump approaches. The US president then springs from his buggy and heads towards the ball, seemingly ready to play it from that spot.
The Stop Trump Coalition, which has protested against Trump in Scotland, accused him of foul play. A spokesperson said: 'Cheating at golf is a long way from Trump’s worst crime – but it does show the problem. Instead of calling it out, the powerful play along. His approach to golf is the same as his approach to business – and to politics.'
Golf experts, however, caution against concluding that Trump was cheating. The R&A declined to comment, but a source said Trump could argue he was practising or playing casually. Nevertheless, the incident has been described as 'dodgy looking' by golf commentator Andrew Cotter, who noted the 'covert operation' of the ball being dropped.
American sportswriter Rick Reilly, author of Commander in Cheat, which examines Trump’s golf claims, wryly stated on X: 'Well I’m just personally very disappointed in him.' The book alleges Trump 'fudges and foozles and fluffs' and is known as 'Pelé' at one US club for kicking the ball back onto the fairway.
At the Women’s Open in Porthcawl, Wales, golfer Dame Laura Davies emphasised the importance of integrity in golf, citing Justin Thomas calling a penalty on himself. Fans expressed dismay, with one saying: 'I hated the clip. Golf is trying to shake off its fusty image and Trump doesn’t help.'
