President Donald Trump’s latest claim that he won both the senior and super senior divisions at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster with a score of 70 has revived scrutiny of his club-championship record.
Sportswriter Rick Reilly previously reported allegations that Trump once called the Bedminster pro shop from another course and submitted a score of 73 to claim a senior title. Reilly also documented a separate account involving a championship plaque whose winner’s name was allegedly replaced with Trump’s.
The stories rely largely on accounts collected by Reilly rather than independently published tournament records. Trump has denied allegations that he cheats at golf, while continuing to promote his championship total and playing ability.
A phone call that won him a trophy
According to an account published by sportswriter Rick Reilly, Trump played at Trump National Philadelphia instead of competing in a senior club championship at Bedminster. Reilly reported that Trump later called the Bedminster pro shop, said he had shot 73, and asked to be declared the winner.
Reilly’s source said the club professional agreed, and Trump’s name was added to the championship plaque. The same source said someone later contacted the Philadelphia caddie, who estimated that Trump had shot approximately 82.
The allegation returned to public attention after Trump announced another Bedminster victory in August 2026. He said he shot 70 to win both the senior and super senior divisions and described the result as another of his club championships.
A sportswriter’s book exposed years of tricks
Sportswriter Rick Reilly detailed numerous allegations about Trump’s golf conduct in his 2019 book, “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.” The publisher says the book drew on Reilly’s experiences and interviews with more than 100 golf professionals, amateurs, developers, and caddies.
One account said Trump encouraged Bedminster to establish a senior championship for players age 50 and older. Reilly reported that Trump later claimed the title after submitting a score from a round played at his Philadelphia course rather than competing with the Bedminster field.
The book received widespread coverage and remains a frequently cited source in discussions of Trump’s golf record. Its stories should be described as reported allegations, and Trump has denied cheating at golf.
The clubhouse plaque story gets stranger
Reilly reported that more than 1 source described a separate incident at the Bedminster clubhouse. Trump allegedly arrived as an employee was adding the newly crowned senior club champion’s name to a wooden plaque.
According to Reilly’s account, Trump had not participated in the tournament but told the employee that he regularly defeated the winner and instructed the worker to put Trump’s name on the plaque instead.
Reilly presented the allegation as part of a broader pattern involving Trump’s claimed club championships. Published versions of the account do not establish that the tournament winner was standing nearby during the exchange.
Trump’s championship count keeps on growing
On Aug. 2, Trump announced that he had won both the senior and super senior divisions at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. He said he recorded a 2-under-par score of 70.
Trump described the result as his 43rd club championship. The total is based on his own public claims and includes senior, super senior and other club competitions, many of them held at properties he owns.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had little time to practice because of his presidential duties and attributed the victory to natural talent. The announcement prompted renewed skepticism about his tournament record, although some golfers who have played with him have praised his ability.
Questions over Trump’s official handicap number
Golf Digest reported in 2016 that Trump carried a 2.8 Handicap Index in the USGA-administered GHIN system. A later score posting briefly lowered the published figure to 2.5.
A Handicap Index is calculated from scores submitted to the system and is designed to represent a player’s demonstrated scoring potential. It is not an independent audit of every casual round or club tournament a golfer claims to have played.
Golf Digest has ranked Trump as the strongest golfer among U.S. presidents, while Jack Nicklaus has said Trump loves golf more than he loves money. Critics, including Rick Reilly, have nevertheless challenged whether Trump’s submitted scores and championship claims consistently reflect rounds played under standard competitive rules.
Even Trump’s golf scores got hacked
In May 2019, unauthorized users posted several false scores to Trump’s USGA-administered GHIN profile, including rounds of 101, 100, 108, and 102. Those scores were far higher, and therefore worse, than the scores in the 70s and 80s normally associated with his profile.
The USGA said the entries had been posted erroneously on Trump’s behalf. It removed the affected scores and worked with golf associations and member clubs to determine the incident’s origin.
Trump owns golf properties in Scotland, including Turnberry and a resort near Aberdeen. He visited both properties during a presidential trip in July 2025.
Fun fact: Trump also owns golf courses overseas in Scotland, where he was seen playing during an official visit, further expanding his golfing empire well beyond American soil.
Why does the debate keep coming back?
Trump’s latest announcement renewed skepticism because he said he shot a gross score of 70, 2 strokes under par, to win at a club he owns. Video of a posted leaderboard appeared to show the next-best gross score was 77.
Critics continue to cite earlier allegations about substituted scores, unusual championship formats, and victories claimed without completing the same tournament rounds as the rest of the field. Reilly has also repeatedly challenged the rising number of championships Trump says he has won.
Other golfers have praised Trump’s ability, ball-striking, and enthusiasm for the sport. Without independently published scorecards and tournament procedures for each claimed title, disagreement over the record is likely to continue.
Fun fact: Reilly publicly said on social media that Trump tends to add roughly 10 more claimed championships each time he brings the subject up.
TL;DR
- Sportswriter Rick Reilly reported that Trump once called in a score of 73 from another course and claimed a Bedminster senior title without competing there that day.
- Reilly’s 2019 book documented numerous allegations about Trump’s scores and championship record based on his experiences and interviews with more than 100 people in golf.
- Trump said his August 2026 Bedminster victories were his 43rd club championship and that he shot a 2-under-par 70.
- Golf Digest listed Trump with a 2.8 Handicap Index in 2016, although the published figure later changed and does not independently verify his tournament claims.
- In 2019, unauthorized users posted false scores of 101, 100, 108, and 102 to Trump’s USGA-administered GHIN profile. The USGA removed the entries.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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