Sportswriter and author Rick Reilly offered insights into Donald Trump’s golfing prowess following the former president’s claim that his golf club awarded him two championships.
During an appearance on Deadline White House with Nicolle Wallace, Reilly humorously likened golf to bicycle shorts, suggesting it reveals a lot about a person. He playfully jabbed at Trump’s apparent aversion to losing, alleging instances of cheating during their rounds together, including taking multiple mulligans and unusual gimmes.
“I’ve always said golf is like bicycle shorts. It reveals a lot about a guy,” Reilly joked during his appearance. “And what it reveals about this guy is that he cannot lose. He has to win and he will do anything to cheat.”
“And I know because I played golf with him and he took seven mulligans. He took a ‘give me chip-in.’ I’ve never even heard of a ‘give me chip-in,'” he added.
A spokesperson for Trump rebuffed Reilly’s accusations of cheating.
Reilly elaborated on Trump’s purported tendencies to declare himself the club champion, even if absent during tournaments, and recounted anecdotes of dubious golfing achievements, including a victory in North Korea while conversing with Kim Jong Un.
Trump’s alleged penchant for bending golfing rules extended to manipulating course ownership to his advantage, according to Reilly, who asserted that Trump has never clinched a championship at a course he doesn’t own, despite boasting of 23 victories.
Responding to Wallace’s inquiry about the audaciousness of cheating in golf, Reilly emphasized the fundamental ethos of trust inherent in the sport and decried cheating as antithetical to its spirit.
Reilly recounted stories from Trump’s opponents alleging foul play, such as kicking balls into bunkers, and claimed Trump used a faster golf cart to surreptitiously move balls.
Reilly shared anecdotes of Trump’s questionable conduct on the course, including implausible excuses for errant shots and allegations of manipulating outcomes.
Professional golfers Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson reportedly admitted to allowing Trump to cheat, purportedly to gather stories about his conduct.
“I wanted my own story about Trump cheating.” said the PGA pros.
In response to Reilly’s segment, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung dismissed Reilly’s criticisms as symptoms of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” urging him to seek medical attention.
