Trump claims 'talent' in Bedminster club golf win, score 70, amid history of cheating accusations

Victory and boast

On Sunday, President Donald Trump posted a video of his "winning shot" at Trump National Golf Course in Bedminster, New Jersey, celebrating victory in the club's championship tournament. He reported a score of 70 and claimed titles in the Super Senior Men's Club Championship (for players 65 and older) and the Senior Men's Club Championship (for those 50 and older). Trump used the post to mock his opponents' lack of talent, framing the outcome as a matter of inherent ability rather than preparation, and said he had very little time to practise because of his presidential duties.

“I won with a score of 70, and am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I'm given very little time to practice, because I'm focused on many other things. It's called TALENT, and I have it, and they don't!”

The boast echoes the language he used after winning the same Senior title in 2025 and both the Senior and Super Senior trophies in 2023. Last year's Senior win was later highlighted by the White House on social media.

Trump's club championship record

Trump has now won the Bedminster club's senior events in three of the past four years: he took both Super Senior and Senior in 2023, the Senior alone in 2025, and both again on Sunday.

In a Truth Social post following the 2023 double, he again emphasised athletic prowess over practice.

“For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete - I have won many Club Championships, and it is always a great honor!”

Longstanding cheating allegations

Trump's enthusiasm for golf has long been accompanied by accusations of cheating, which he denies. Allegations date back before his first term. Actor Samuel L. Jackson levelled the charge in 2016, and in 2018 LPGA player Suzann Pettersen was reported as saying the president "cheats like hell" (though Pettersen later denied making the remark). Sports writer Rick Reilly documented multiple claims in his 2019 book "Commander in Cheat", including a story from Winged Foot Golf Club where caddies supposedly gave Trump the nickname "Pele" after seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway.

“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.”

Last year, a video from a round in Scotland appeared to show a caddy dropping Trump's ball closer to the fairway, reigniting the debate. And earlier this year, the New York Times reported that the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, had insinuated during 2022 grand jury testimony that the president cheats at golf.