President Donald Trump has posted what may be the best golf score of his life, an incredible 68.
Freelancer sportswriter Leif Skodnick found the score listed on the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network and refers to a round of played over Easter Weekend. It’s not known where the score was recorded, but according to CNN, Trump played at his courses in Palm Beach, Florida and in Virginia around that time.
According to Golf.com, Trump has never recorded a score in the 60s. His next best posted score was a 70 from 2013. He has recorded only a few scores since taking office despite playing well over 100 rounds. (According to TrumpGolfCount.com, he has played 175 rounds since taking office at a taxpayer cost of about $99 million)
Donald Trump has posted what may be the best golf score of his life, an incredible 68
Freelancer sportswriter Leif Skodnick found the score listed on the USGA’s Golf Handicap and Information Network and refers to a round of played over Easter Weekend. It’s not known where the score was recorded, but according to CNN , Trump played at his courses in Palm Beach, Florida and in Virginia around that time. Trump’s score is particularly remarkable for an amateur considering the difficulty of the course, which had a 75.3 rating. For comparison, Long Island’s Beth Page Black, which is hosting the PGA Championship, has a 77.5 rating
Amazingly Trump’s score was 28 strokes better than his last posted score of 96, which came in October. He typically shoots in the 70s or 80s
Trump’s score is particularly remarkable for an amateur considering the difficulty of the course, which had a 75.3 rating. For comparison, Long Island’s Beth Page Black, which is currently hosting the PGA Championship, has a 77.5 rating.
‘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,’ Skodnick wrote on Twitter.
Amazingly Trump’s score was 28 strokes better than his last posted score of 96, which came in October.
That 96 could be considered an aberration for someone with an impressive 1.8 handicap, such as Trump. (A handicap is used in stroke play to allow players of different proficiency to play against each other one equal terms. The USGA handicap is calculated using a specific arithmetic formula that approximates the number strokes above par a given player might be based on his or her ten best scores from their last 20 rounds)
‘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,’ wrote Skodnick.
There are other theories as to why Trump’s GHIN profile is reflecting a score of 68 on April 19.
It’s not known where the score was recorded, but according to CNN , Trump played at his courses in Palm Beach, Florida and in Virginia (pictured) around that time
According to Sports Illustrated, the GHIN website is not secure, so there is a chance that one or more of Trump’s scores could have been posted by someone else. In fact, Trump had a score of 68 improperly entered onto the website in October of 2017 which was later deleted.
The USGA did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
Trump recently scored in triple digits on four rounds in May, according to Sports Illustrated, but those scores were not included for the purpose of revising his handicap.
And like his 96 in October, those scores were recorded on courses that were significantly easier than Trump’s Westchester course.
Trump has been repeatedly accused of cheating at golf.
Trump has been repeatedly accused of cheating at golf, although he denies the claims
Rick Reilly, a former Sports Illustrated columnist who once played a round with Trump, said the President lied about his score, took unwarranted mulligans, and even credited himself for others’ shots.
‘To say “Donald Trump cheats” is like saying “Michael Phelps swims,”‘ Reilly wrote in his book, ‘Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump.’
Writing for the Sunday Times magazine in March, Riley claimed caddies had given Trump the nickname ‘Pele’ because he would often kick the ball to improve his lie.
Trump, who has faced scrutiny for the amount of time he spends golfing, has previously denied cheating.
Riley also took issue with Trump’s claim at the time that he was a 2.8 handicap, which is actually less impressive than the 1.8 he currently boasts.
‘If Trump is a 2.8, Queen Elizabeth is a pole vaulter,’ wrote Riley.
Even LPGA Tour golfer Suzann Pettersen, a friend of Trump’s, told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang that the President ‘cheats like hell.’