Donald Trump loves golf, and he fancies himself quite good at it. But the evidence continues to grow that, well, he isn’t all that good at the sport he loves most.
Golf stories involving Trump often seem pretty unbelievable, ranging from him cheating his way to victories or warping reality by challenging the very definition of what “winning” is. Can you be a club champion, for example, if you didn’t even participate in said club’s championship tournament? And what if you steal a child’s ball on the green when yours went into the water?
Trump will say his handicap is legitimate and his golf game is terrific, and he has a whole legion of employees at his clubs who will “verify” that stance. But much like any “facts” when it comes to Donald Trump, it’s best to be skeptical. Which is exactly why Trump posting a 68 at one of his own courses seems particularly incredible.
BREAKING: President Trump has posted an 18-hole golf score to @USGA Golf Handicap Information Network for first time this season – a 68(!) on a course with a 75.3 rating/139 slope. pic.twitter.com/yiHKdhIWU9
— Leif Skodnick (@LeifSkodnick) May 17, 2019
News of the score spread quickly online, but as Leif mentioned in what quickly became a Twitter thread, this score may be a lot more like political propaganda than fact.
This might be the best round of golf by a head of state since Kim Jong Il’s 38-under par performance (with five aces!) at Pyongyang Golf Course.
— Leif Skodnick (@LeifSkodnick) May 17, 2019
There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical here, starting with the fact that a 68 is a ridiculously good score on a very tough course.
It's important to note that the 96 back in October came on a course with a rating of 68.8 – in other words, someplace not particularly tough.
— Leif Skodnick (@LeifSkodnick) May 17, 2019
Going from a 96 to a 68 would be incredible for pretty much any golfer, especially when you go from one difficult course to another. But when it’s Trump suddenly shooting at a pro level on one of his own courses, it’s best to consider his history over his present statistics.