Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has long boasted a golf handicap of 2.8, a figure listed on the US Golf Association's GHIN network. This claim has sparked controversy, as critics question whether a 70-year-old with a demanding schedule can maintain such a low handicap, which is near professional level.
While some golf experts note that handicaps of three or under are not uncommon among senior golfers, they also point out that such players are typically retired and have played regularly since youth. Terrence Somerville, assistant pro at Langston Golf Course in Washington DC, said, “With someone who has a schedule like Donald Trump’s, it’s unlikely. It’s not somebody who has a schedule like his.”
Trump's golfing record has faced scrutiny before. Former Sports Illustrated editor Mark Mulvoy recalled an incident in the 1990s when Trump appeared to cheat by placing a ball near the pin that he had not hit. Rock star Alice Cooper also named Trump as the worst golf cheat he had played with.
Politicians exaggerating athletic achievements is not new. Bill Clinton was known for taking mulligans, and Paul Ryan was caught shaving time off his marathon. However, Trump's handicap claim is particularly hard to verify, as his 20 most recent scores on GHIN date back to 2014 and stretch to 2009, an unusual pattern for a scratch golfer.
