Donald Trump's recent success on the golf course has been called into question by a sports journalist who previously accused the former president of cheating.
Trump, the presumed 2024 GOP presidential nominee, this month won both the Club Championship and the Senior Club Championship at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He previously claimed Super Senior Championship glory earlier this year.
The 77-year-old took to Truth Social and Instagram to share the news, writing: "A great honor to have won both the Club Championship and the Senior Club Championship this week at Trump International!"
Ahead of being awarded for his wins, Trump wrote on Truth Social on March 24: "It is my great honor to be at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach tonight, AWARDS NIGHT, to receive THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY & THE SENIOR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY. I WON BOTH!"
"A large and golfing talented membership, a GREAT and difficult course, made the play very exciting," he added. "The qualifying and match play was amazing. A large and distinguished group will be there tonight. Very exciting, thank you!!!"
Former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, who has known the president for three decades, responded to Trump's social media post by challenging him to compete on a golf course that doesn't fall under his portfolio of properties.
"Call us if you ever win one on a course you DON'T own and operate," Reilly wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
As of press time, the post has garnered more than 700,000 views. Newsweek has contacted a representative of Trump via email for comment.
Call us if you ever win one on a course you DONT own and operate. pic.twitter.com/FIDPRKbmiZ
— Rick Reilly (@ReillyRick) March 24, 2024
Trump's handicap is self-reported at 2.8. However, Reilly claimed in 2019 that the erstwhile The Apprentice star's handicap was more likely close to 10.
"Donald Trump is the worst cheat ever and he doesn't care who knows," he told The Guardian. "I always say golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a man. And golf reveals a lot of ugliness in this president."
The author of a Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, Reilly suggested the former president's claim of having a 2.8 handicap was doctored.
"He has recorded only 20 scores in eight years even though he plays more golf than any other president," he said. "I put in my every score in the computer because that's what you do in golf. At my club guys will put in your score for you if you're avoiding it. Trump doesn't put in scores. That's so unethical."
Ability is ranked on a handicap system, which is a numerical measure of a golfer's skill, or potential ability and is used to allow players of different levels to compete against one another, Stix. The United States Golf Association is responsible for the calculation and evaluation of golf handicaps.
In his book Commander in Cheat, Reilly wrote that Trump "doesn't just cheat at golf. He cheats like a three-card monte dealer. He throws it, boots it, and moves it. He lies about his lies. He fudges and foozles and fluffs.
"At Winged Foot, where Trump is a member, the caddies got so used to seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway they came up with a nickname for him: 'Pele.'"
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