14 July 2023 , 18:10
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Former United States President Donald Trump has long boasted of his golf abilities, but a recent clip shared on social media of him slicing a shot nowhere near the hole dented his lofty claims. Trump is seen with a straight line to the cup from the end of the fairway - but his attempt goes way off to the right, near vegetation lining the course.
Several people flank Trump as he takes a couple of practice swings before hitting his errant shot. Members of his entourage appear to look away as he shanks the ball out of the frame and don't seem to acknowledge the incident with the 77-year-old.
The businessman-turned-politician owns 12 golf courses in his home nation, according to USA Today, and frequently visited them during his presidency. All his practice apparently hasn't protected against catastrophic efforts to hit the green.
"Holy s***, dude," says one of the spectators behind the video camera amid laughs. "Oh my God, I got that on video."
Donald Trump lines up his shot at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles. (@rsp3k22 / Twitter)Trump's pride in his golf abilities is well-documented. He claims to have a 2.8 handicap — considered above average — and a couple of professional golfers have defended the merits of his game.
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"He's actually a really good golfer," Bryson DeChambeau told USA Today. "He stripes it down the middle of the fairway and has good iron game and putts it pretty well."
In 2016, responding to Republican primary campaign opponents attacking him for the size of his hands, Trump told supporters, "See how beautiful my hands are, look at those hands. Those are powerful hands. They can hit a golf ball 285 yards."
Donald Trump's shot can be seen flying to the right, well off the target. (@rsp3k22 / Twitter)In 2022, Trump told the world he hit a hole-in-one at a course in West Palm Beach, Florida. There was no video of the moment, so he tried to add credibility to the claim by releasing an official statement.
"Many people are asking, so I'll give it to you now, it is 100 percent true," he said afterward. "I hit a 5-iron, which sailed magnificently into a rather strong wind, with approximately 5 feet of cut, whereupon it bounced twice and then went clank, into the hole."
However, Trump faces abundant claims that he cheats at golf. He has denied accusations he moves the ball to more beneficial positions to elevate his scores.
"On this one hole, Donald hits his second and fats it into the water," recalled PGA golfer Brad Faxon in the book " Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump."
"But he quickly says to me, 'Hey, throw me another ball; they weren't looking.' So I do. But he fats that one into the water, too. So he drives up and drops where he should've dropped the first time and hits it on the green."
ESPN broadcaster Mike Tirico, actor Anthony Anderson, former NBA player Mike Dunleavy, and various caddies have made similar claims.
Trump's shanked shot caught on video reportedly occurred at the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles, which he purchased in 2002.