Cheating at His Favourite Sport? Trump’s Golf Game in Scotland Under the Spotlight

Viral Video Shows Suspected Ball Drop at Turnberry

Donald Trump’s 28 July golf getaway in Scotland has stirred fresh controversy after a viral video appeared to show a caddie discreetly dropping a golf ball for the U.S. President during a round at his Turnberry course.

The footage, taken from inside a nearby building, captured the caddie placing the ball as Trump approached from his cart—raising renewed suspicions of the President’s questionable conduct on the course.

The short clip quickly spread across social media, sparking a wave of online backlash. Critics accused Trump of cheating, with some mockingly dubbing him “Commander-in-Cheat,” a nickname that has dogged him for years.

Not the First Time the Ball’s Been Moved

This isn’t Trump’s first brush with controversy on the course. A similar incident from 2016 resurfaced recently, in which actor Samuel L. Jackson described a round with Trump at one of his U.S. courses. Jackson claimed Trump’s caddie “found” a ball in the middle of the fairway after it had clearly gone into a lake—echoing a pattern of implausible recoveries that critics say are too frequent to be coincidence.

Additionally, Trump has previously been spotted on camera appearing to guide a missed putt into the hole with his hand and walking away after a failed drive—skipping the do-over entirely.

Social Media Roasts Continue

Following the latest video from Turnberry, thousands of users took to social media to mock the President’s golfing integrity. PGA professionals, comedians, and casual players all chimed in, calling out the seemingly orchestrated ball placement.

Some users explained that the incident was merely a ball-drop, a maneuver where a golf ball is dropped to take relief in an unplayable area, or for a penalty.

Even before this weekend’s incident, the President’s reputation for bending the rules of golf was well documented. Several celebrities, like Anthony Anderson, claimed Trump’s ball would conveniently reappear in prime position, while their own vanished into thick rough just feet away.

Book Claims and Golf Legacy Under Fire

Trump’s alleged history of rule-breaking was the subject of Rick Reilly’s 2019 book Commander in Cheat, which compiled numerous eyewitness accounts of the President’s less-than-honest play. Caddies at Trump’s own courses were said to have nicknamed him “Pele” for frequently kicking his ball into better lies. Reilly wrote that Trump doesn’t just break the rules—he rewrites them mid-round.

Despite these controversies, Trump continues to tout a self-assessed handicap of 2.8, a score typically reserved for elite amateur players. But with mounting visual evidence and a long list of witnesses, many now question the validity of that claim.

Bigger Than the Game?

While Trump’s visit to Scotland included diplomatic meetings and international negotiations, it’s his behavior on the green that has dominated headlines. Whether seen as a harmless quirk or a symbol of deeper character flaws, the spectacle surrounding his golf game once again overshadows his political agenda.

As critics put it, the President may play to win—but not always by the rules.

Watch the video here: