Donald Trump still accused of cheating in golf to win a championship
President Donald Trump once allegedly took a competitor's golf ball in order to cheat and win a club championship in 2018, according to the author of a new book who spoke with club members. According to sports writer Rick Reilly, whose new book "Commander in Cheat" explores Donald Trump's relationship with golf and how it influences his tenure, the will to win, so characteristic of Donald Trump, goes much further than one might imagine.
In a discussion with Sean Illing of Vox, Rick Reilly said he believed he revealed the "most scandalous" cheating story in his book. Donald Trump was unable to compete in the club championship at his Trump International Course in Florida because he was meeting North Korean President Kim Jong Un in Singapore. A month later, Donald Trump returned there and met Ted Virtue, an investor also a member of the club who won the championship when Donald Trump was in Singapore. Ted Virtue was playing with his son when Donald Trump joined them by cart on the 12th hole. Donald Trump then allegedly joked that Ted Virtue won only because he was away from home and challenged him to play the last six holes of the match, according to the story Rick Reilly told Vox. Then things would get very weird.
Rick Reilly, who had this story verified with club members, gave the following version to Sean Illing:
Ted tries to laugh about it, but Trump couldn't be more serious. The latter said: "We will play the last six holes of the championship". Then Ted replies "Oh well, I'm playing with my son, but thanks anyway". Trump adds: "Your son can play too." What would you do in this case? This is the president. This is his journey. They end up playing. Apparently they come to a hole next to a large pond. Ted and his son hit the green, but Trump's ball lands in the water. But by the time they get near the hole, Trump's caddy has interchanged Trump's ball with that of Ted Virtue's son. The son protests: "It's my ball!" but Trump's caddy replies, "No it's the president's ball; your ball went into the water." Ted Virtue and his son look at each other in awe, not quite sure what is going on.
The son was first described as a "10 or 11 year old" child. Vox later corrected this story and claimed that Ted Virtue's sons are "at least 20 years old."
According to Golf.com, Donald Trump has told Ted Virtue's son they could be co-champions, but Donald Trump's record plate does not indicate that he shares the title. This story is just the latest in a series about Donald Trump's play during his presidential term. Speaking with a Norwegian newspaper, professional golfer Suzann Pettersen said she saw Donald Trump cheat up close. "He cheats to death. I don't quite understand how he can be in business. They say if you cheat in golf, you cheat in business," said Suzann Pettersen.
She continues, “He keeps saying he's the best pitcher in the world. But all the times I've played against him he's never scored below 80. But what's strange is that 'every time I chat with him he says he just scored 69, or he just broke a new record or won a championship somewhere. " With Rick Reilly's story as a backdrop, Donald Trump's scores don't seem so weird anymore.
