Donald Trump branded 'golf cheat' after 'illegal' move during round

Donald Trump has been branded a "bloody golf cheat" by an incensed sports journalist following the emergence of footage showing a caddie dropping the ball and the US President dragging it into a hole.

Esteemed author Ricky Reilly, who wrote a book about Trump's propensity to cheat at golf, berated the President after the White House announced he shot a score of 69 at an event over the weekend.

Posting a video on social media of the president's caddie unlawfully dropping a ball on the green during a round, Reilly fumed: "So you know, it's NEVER legal for your caddy to drop a ball. YOU can drop one, but never on a green. And since this was a full-score event, it's not legal for Trump to drag the ball into the hole. No, no, never. Our president is a bloody golf cheat."

A golf coach has also spoken out regarding the legitimacy of Donald Trump's alleged handicap amid scrutiny of the claim.

The video was reportedly filmed on Saturday at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ, the same day the White House claimed Trump won the 2025 Men's Senior Club Championship and finished three under par, reports the Mirror US.

Agents for Ricky Reilly were emailed to comment on this story.

Earlier, Reilly had questioned the score, asking: "So a chubby 79-year-old with the yips whose caddies have to throw it out of bunkers and rough just shot a 69 to win by 10? Sure."

Following Trump being caught cheating during a round of golf at his Scottish resort during a UK visit, as reported by the Daily Star, two men in red vests were seen dropping a ball as Trump approached a bunker in a golf cart at his Turnberry Resort.

Before Saturday's event, Reilly posed a question: "Hey Trump, tomorrow is the Senior Champ at Bedminster. Are you shameless enough to pretend you won it? Even after the whole planet saw you cheat in Scotland? Is your ego that sick?"

Two days later, Trump was announced as the winner when the official White House social media accounts posted the scorecard with the caption: "Winning on and off the course."

In response, Reilly humorously commented: "Guess we got our answer. What a child."

In 2019, Reilly authored a book titled Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, which exposed the "absurd ways in which he lies about his feats" and what they reveal about his leadership style off the golf course in "the most important job in the world".

In an interview with the Guardian, Reilly previously expressed his disdain for Trump: "I just can't stand this guy. I love golf and he has set the game back 30 years. Just when it was becoming cool with Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler we get this fat bozo cheating his ass off.

"He claimed to have won a tournament in New Jersey when he was actually in Philly. My dad would flip over three times in his grave and he was a Reagan Republican."