Donald Trump spoke at Mar-a-Lago on Thanksgiving, claiming his 38th club championship in a call with service members, during which he addressed the DC shooting
23:19 ET, 27 Nov 2025Updated 00:25 ET, 28 Nov 2025
Donald Trump bragged about his golf game in a Thanksgiving call with U.S. service members(Image: Pete Marovich, Getty Images)
Donald Trump spent his Thanksgiving morning teeing off and his afternoon adding to his trophy collection — claiming his tally of golf championships jumped from 36 to 38.
During a holiday media session at Mar-a-Lago, Trump once again declared himself a scratch golfer and boasted about a victory against a 27-year-old competitor he referred to as “a plus-three” in a Thanksgiving call with service members — during which he announced the death of a National Guard member who was shot near the White House on Wednesday.
Trump’s golf championship claims sparked renewed chatter about his golfing history, which was labeled a “100% lie” in Rick Reilly’s 2019 book Commander in Cheat, a deep dive into everything from the president’s handicaps to tournament participation.
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Trump stood firm, insisting every title was legitimate because “you have a lot of people following you during club championships.”
“I’ve won 38 club championships, and I don’t get to practice much,” said Trump, who, back in August, claimed he had won 36 club titles. “I beat a 27-year-old kid last year. The fairway doesn’t know how old you are. When you’re walking up the middle, and he’s in the rough, age doesn’t matter.”
Just hours before Trump hit the golf course for a Thanksgiving round, two National Guard members were shot in Washington, D.C. — with one, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, tragically losing her life, Trump announced on the call. The troops were part of a deployment ordered by Trump in August to tackle crime in the capital.
Trump also labeled the incident a “terrorist attack” and slammed the Joe Biden administration for allowing Afghans into the country.
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The suspect in the shooting is reported to be an Afghan national who previously served alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
But when asked about his golf skills, Trump described himself as “around scratch or better,” lauded his skills under pressure, and highlighted his appearance with Bryson DeChambeau on the LIV Golfer’s Breaking 50 YouTube series. He also stated that Biden’s previous claim of a six handicap made him “angry” and asserted that Biden “can’t hit a ball 30 yards.”
The president declared that club championships “are our majors,” and that most people “won’t play in them.” He further noted that all of his victories required no additional handicap strokes at the start of the tournament.
Reilly reported that Trump has a habit of playing the first round alone whenever he opens one of his golf courses, declaring it the club championship, and having his name engraved on the wall.
Trump’s golf empire includes seven public courses, 10 private courses, and four resorts.
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Famous figures like Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Anderson, Suzann Pettersen, Alice Cooper, Oscar De La Hoya, and Mike Tirico have all publicly accused Trump of cheating during games.
Reilly pointed out several online videos that appear to show Trump’s caddies assisting him in finding better positions during matches.
