Trump Accused—Again—of Cheating at Golf, This Time by His Own Caddy

Allegations that Donald Trump cheats at golf have resurfaced—this time, with his own caddy reportedly confirming the claims.

The 78-year-old former president, a self-proclaimed golf lover who owns 16 courses (12 in the U.S.), is said to have spent 18 of his first 69 days of his second term in office golfing—at a cost of over $26 million to taxpayers. All while managing the country and implementing controversial tariffs.

While Trump has earned praise for his golf skills from some PGA pros, he’s also developed a reputation for not always playing by the rules. Celebrities like Oscar De La Hoya and Samuel L. Jackson have publicly accused him of bending the rules or outright cheating.

One notable example: Trump insisted on using his Thursday score as his official first-round score during a tournament and claimed he “won” a 2023 event—despite missing half of it to attend a funeral 600 miles away.

The book Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, by former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, documents multiple instances of Trump allegedly cheating. Reilly says Trump “has to win” and “will do anything to cheat,” citing conversations with people who’ve played with him—90% of whom claim Trump “openly cheats” without shame.

One story in particular stands out: Trump’s caddy reportedly admitted to moving another player’s ball.

During a round with sports broadcasters Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Ron Jaworski, Tirico hit a near-perfect shot that landed close to the hole. But when the group reached the green, the ball was nowhere near where it should have been—it had somehow ended up 50 feet away in a bunker.

Trump dismissed it as a “lousy break,” but later, the caddy allegedly came clean to Tirico: “You know that shot you hit on the par 5? It was about ten feet from the hole. Trump threw it in the bunker. I saw him do it.”

Despite knowing he’d been wronged, Tirico paid up on the round without complaint.