During a Donald Trump-hosted PGA Tour event, his devout caddy put a man in a “military chokehold” over anti-Trump comments during the 2017 Senior PGA Championship in Virginia
Donald Trump’s caddy’s loyalty once resulted in choking out one of his detractors
Longtime Donald Trump golf caddie known only as “A.J.” once claimed that his loyalty to the U.S. President is so unwavering that he once put a man in a “military chokehold” – like UFC star Bryce Mitchell, who said he would die for Trump. The aggression came after the individual openly expressed hatred toward Trump during a PGA event hosted on his property.
The incident apparently occurred during the 2017 Senior PGA Championship at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, on the tour that star Rory McIlroy vowed to never play in. Although the president was scheduled to attend the final round of competition, he skipped out to leave protesters, players, and his own staff hanging.
Kayakers were floating down the Potomac in protest, but A.J. stayed loyal throughout the conditions. When discussing Trump’s first term, the caddie recalled a man on-site saying, “I hate that mother ——!”.
A.J. told Politico that he responded with presidential MAGA loyalty and said, “You’re not gonna come to Mr. Trump’s course, eat Mr. Trump’s food, and then use the word ‘hate’ about my president. I won’t have it.”
READ MORE: ‘Who are you?’ – Tiger Woods had perfect retort after The Open Championship security denied him entryREAD MORE: Joe Biden’s handicap emerges after Donald Trump takes another brutal swipe at former President
Those were the last words before he claimed that he physically restrained the man using a military-style chokehold.
The target of that now-infamous was allegedly Brian Sullivan, the caddie for Senior Tour player Joe Durant. He later owned up to being hungover that day and couldn’t contain his true feelings about Trump, calling him “the biggest jerk in the world.”
True or not, A.J.’s fierce loyalty to Trump has long been documented.
The caddie is so devoted that he once refused to believe Trump had accidentally injured him with a golf club. After Trump hit himself in the head with his own driver while putting it away, the President blamed his caddie instead. A.J. reportedly told Trump: “Why would I do that? You’re my president!”
Trump recently opened a new course in Aberdeen, Scotland
Trump has been accused of exaggerating scorekeeping and having balls “magically” find their way from wooded areas back into the fairway. Actors Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Anderson, and LPGA star Suzann Pettersen have all questioned Trump’s ethical practices on the links, and he’s been accused of “cheating at the highest level” in order to win.
A.J. is also on record as one of the biggest fans of Trump’s golf game. He referred to it as a “solid 7” on the Sterling course and raved about his short and long game.
“He can drive it a long way,” A.J. said. “For a 72-year-old man, he’s amazing… He’s amazing with the flop.”
A 2019 article noted that Trump’s caddies earn $200 per round in tips.
Trump owns 18 golf courses worldwide, including 15 in the United States. In 2026, Trump’s National Doral golf course is presumed to be utilized on the PGA Tour for the first time in nearly a decade.
The U.S. President opened a brand new golf course in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, the Trump International Scotland. The course is Trump’s second in the country since owning and renaming Turnberry in 2014.
