UFC star Bo Nickal has described US president Donald Trump as an "amazing golfer" after playing a round with him, praising his accuracy and composure under pressure. Nickal's comments have resurfaced amid controversy over Trump's claimed victory at his own golf club.
Trump's claimed victory at Bedminster
Trump, who owns numerous golf courses including the Trump National Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey, claimed he won the Bedminster Club Championship with a score of 70. He posted a clip of his purported winning shot on his social media platform, Truth Social.
He wrote: "I won with a score of 70, and am so honoured in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to practice, because I’m focused on many other things. It’s called TALENT, and I have it, and they don’t!"
Some golf fans on social media doubted the claim, with one suggesting that those around Trump allow him to cheat out of fear. However, Nickal's endorsement provides a counterpoint.
Nickal's experience on the course
Nickal was invited to play golf with Trump after the president attended his UFC 290 fight in 2023, where Nickal knocked out Val Woodburn. He played alongside Trump and NFL icons Lawrence Taylor and Ottis Anderson.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, Nickal recalled his surprise at Trump's skill. He said: "Him and LT were playing for a thousand bucks a hole or something. Trump, I golfed with him; the dude's an amazing golfer. I couldn't believe it, how good he was. Every fairway, right down the middle, hit every green, making all his puts."
Nickal described a tense final hole where Trump, needing to win, hit a precise approach shot and walked away without watching it land. He added: "He looks at me, he goes, 'Don't you want your president to be clutch?' And I was like, 'For sure, man,' and he hit it two feet from the pin and tapped it in, and I was like 'geez'. Just a cool dude, though. It was funny."
