24 January 2023 , 09:51
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Donald Trump has claimed victory in the senior club championship at his Florida golf club - despite being 700 miles away for half of the tournament.
Competitors arriving for the final round of the two-day contest on Sunday morning were shocked to see his name at the top of the leaderboard.
Trump had given a five-point lead on the overnight leaderboard with him apparently telling other golfers he had played an “incredible great round” on Thursday, and that would count as his first day's score.
This was despite him being at a funeral in North Carolina on Saturday, almost 678 miles from his West Palm Beach course.
Former President Donald Trump on the third green during the Pro-Am tournament (USA TODAY Sports) The unwitnessed 18 holes gave him a score of 40 points using the Stableford method - which awards one point for a bogey, two for par and three for a birdie.
It was five points better than Saturday's best round when Trump was in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Trump later boasted about his controversial win on his Truth social media account.
He wrote: “A great honour to have won the senior club championship at Trump International Golf Club. Competed against many fine golfers and was hitting the ball long and straight.
“You need strength and stamina to WIN, & I have strength & stamina - most others don’t. You also need strength & stamina to GOVERN.”
Trump National Golf Club Bedminster (Getty Images)Trump is notorious for cheating on the course and being dishonest about his achievements.
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Rick Reilly, author of the book “Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump,” knew the former president for years and said he was “the worst cheat ever, and he doesn’t care who knows.”
The former President has been accused of throwing opponents' balls into bunkers without them seeing and demanding ten-foot putts are conceded.
A spokesperson for Donald Trump has had to speak out after he posed for a photo at a Trump-owned golf club earlier this month with a Philadelphia mobster.
Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino was seen standing next to the former President making thumbs-up gestures.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches his shot from the first tee (via Getty Images)“President Trump takes countless photos with people. That does not mean he knows every single person he comes in contact with", the spokesperson told the Philadelphia Inquirer which obtained the photo.
The paper said Merlino was once “a leader of a violent crew on his way up to being boss of an organised crime operation active in Philadelphia and Atlantic City.
Trump has been known to have casino interests in Atlantic City.
The Inquirer continued: “[They] share an affinity for golf and an aversion to cooperating witnesses who ‘flip’ to help federal investigators”.