WaPo (Style): Trump Cheats At Golf; The Donald Bites Back

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I wasn't sure if this was a serious investigative piece by Ben Terris until the Style section placement helped make this seem less Onionesque and took some edge off. Some.  (Thanks to Tim who sent this.)

Talking to three former Trump golf partners--Mark Mulvoy, Alice Cooper, Rick Reilly--Terris concludes Donald Trump plays by his own rules on the course. A similar taint dogged Bill Clinton and still does, but as Commander-in-Chief no one was about to call him on it. The same situation seems to be part of the Trump matter.

Naturally, The Donald was not pleased with the comments, not even remembering Mulvoy and throwing a few jabs at Reilly's writing.

Reilly told The Washington Post about an afternoon when Trump wrote down scores he didn’t actually achieve on his scorecard, conceded putts to himself by raking the ball into the hole with his putter rather than striking it properly (“He rakes like my gardener!”), and even called a gimme — something a player might claim for a two-foot putt — on what should have been a chip shot.

“He took the world’s first gimme chip-in,” Reilly said. At one point, Trump, after taking a number of second shots, told Reilly to “make sure you write that I play my first ball. You don’t get a second ball in life.” In life it may or may not be true that a person gets a second chance; and yet, as Reilly wrote, on holes 1, 13 and 17, Trump did indeed get a second ball.

Naturally, Reilly's writing came under fire from the Presidential candidate.

Trump disputes Reilly’s entire story as well: “I always thought he was a terrible writer,” he said. “I absolutely killed him, and he wrote very inaccurately. I would say that he’s a very dishonest writer. . . . I never took a gimme chip shot. . . . I don’t do gimme chip shots. If I asked his approval, that’s not cheating, number one. Number two, I never took one.”

And to be clear, Reilly wasn't complaining.

But Reilly noted something else about playing with Trump that is echoed by others who have played with him: He had an amazing time. Trump played with confidence and bravado, he tipped the caddies, he gave great pointers that helped his comrades with problem swings. So what if he cheats? The guy is a lot of fun!

“It’s his limo ride, his golf course. The guy paid for lunch — what are you going to do?” Reilly said. “He’s exhausting, but I want to be clear: I really liked him. It was just like being in a crazy carnival for a day. Though I’m not sure it would be so much fun when it starts to count.”

Ex-First Minister Salmond: Trump's Odds Of Landing The Scottish Open "Lengthening"

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The former First Minister of Scotland was instrumental in pushing for investing in the Scottish Open and protecting its now important spot on the European Tour. While he's no longer in charge, Alex Salmond is still clued in to the proceedings.

So it's somewhat telling he's suggesting to The Scotsman Martin Dempster that the time separation from comments made by Donald Trump this summer, to the scolding he received, to now leading in polls, has not helped the chances of Trump International landing three of the next five Aberdeen Asset Management sponsored Scottish Opens.

“It’s not my decision, but I would have thought Mr Trump’s odds are lengthening as far as these matters are concerned,” he replied to being asked about the American hosting the tournament before adding, jokingly: “But he might become the president of the United States of America. He might say, ‘do it or else’!” His tone becoming serious once more, Salmond continued: “Look, let’s talk positively. There’s absolutely no doubt it’s an absolutely great golf course. But there are things to consider in the fullness of time, and I’m sure Aberdeen Asset and the Tour will be considering these matters. Obviously the PGA of America made a decision, a quite understandable decision. Politics is a rough, old trade, as Mr Trump will find out. Sometimes you can say things when you’re a television star, but not necessarily when you’re a politician.”

Earlier this year Trump suggested his Aberdeen area course would be getting the 2017, 2019 and 2020 Scottish Opens and there were indications an announcement was postponed at Gullane during this year's event.

The R&A downplayed Trump's comments as an issue for Turnberry's future Open Championship hopes.

As for Trump National Los Angeles' Grand Slam of Golf, the PGA of America tells me they are still working on a replacement venue and will let us know as soon as they have something. The event is six weeks away.

Photo Caption Fun: The Donald And The Great One

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There's a superb photo gallery accompanying Steve Polti's most enjoyable Star-Ledger column on Donald Trump taking The Barclays by storm.

While most of the photos were pretty self-explanatory, I just felt like this caption on John Munson's image didn't quite tell us everything:

Donald Trump and Wayne Gretzky watch Dustin Johnson on the 14th hole during the final round of The Barclays golf tournament at the Plainfield Country Club.

Don't get me wrong, it works, but I feel like we, as fans of the Star Ledger, might be able to do better...

USGA On Trump: "We're Evaluating"

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I'm just getting around to today's Trump reading and all signs point to the golf v. Donald matter not really subsiding.

Randall Mell on the USGA Thursday press conference at Lancaster CC during the U.S. Women's Open where Executive Director Mike Davis was asked about the controversial host of the 2017 U.S. Women's Open.

“I can’t speak for the other golf organizations, but I can for the USGA say that we have not wanted to get involved in politics, presidential politics, but at the same time we are about diversity, about inclusion, about growing the game,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said Thursday at the U.S. Women’s Open. “We are evaluating things, and at this point that’s all we can say.”

With Trump Bedminster just down the street from Golf House, there's no telling how much needs to be sorted out here. Oh, the joys of neighborship!

Bradley Klein considers the Trump golf brand and how the unraveling of golf v. Trump impacts the cache built up of late.

That brand is now two-fold: in the form of marketing and of a recognizable aesthetic. By putting his name on each of his 17 properties, he has unavoidably, and in fact quite systematically, created a unique mode of consumer identification with his product. No one else has done that in golf course development. Not in such personal terms.

And James Corrigan of The Telegraph warns that golf might want to be careful in cutting ties to Trump and opening up other worm cans.

But what should the R&A do about keeping Trump Turnberry on the Open roster?

My advice would be nothing. After all, Royal Troon may be having a review into their membership policy but next year’s Open venue still does not allow women to be members. Neither does Muirfield.

Meanwhile, many of the sponsors which keep the sport awash in greenbacks could hardly be said to be squeaky clean. Golf should stay away from the high ground for a while yet. Otherwise that tremendously infectious disease called hypocrisy could pour across its borders.

Trump! What Will The Golf Bodies Do Next?

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Brendan Prunty's New York Times story quotes The Donald, who is not backing down in the face of losing the Grand Slam of Golf at Trump National. 

From Tuesday's story:

 “I’ve been very loyal to golf,” Trump said Tuesday in a telephone interview. “I own 17 clubs. They all do great. We will see whether or not golf is loyal to me.”

Former PGA President Ted Bishop noted his lack of surprise that the PGA stopped at the Grand Slam.

“I think a lot of people are surprised that it wasn’t all or nothing,” said the former P.G.A. of America president Ted Bishop. “I don’t know what kind of statement the P.G.A. of America makes by saying, ‘We’re not going to do this for one year, but we’re going to go back for all these others.’ ”

Which leaves us with the future and also questions now about why golf got so heavily invested in Trump properties knowing the man's proclivity to generate controversy.

Alex Miceli reveals in Golfweek that the previous PGA of America regime was not interested in working with Trump, but that changed with the Bevacqua and Bishop.

“When Pete came to me about Trump, I was 100 percent in favor of working with him,” said Bishop, recalling the beginnings of the relationship. “Under former CEO Joe Steranka, the PGA was not interested in working with Trump. It was just a non-starter with Joe.”

For his part, Steranka, who retired in 2012 and now leads the charitable arm of the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic, was unwilling to discuss his dealings with Trump.

“I’m not going to comment on that,” Steranka said from his office in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. "The PGA is sorting through this, and looking back about what was going on when I was there doesn’t address today’s things they have to focus on.”

Up next and much grander on the big ticket item list: what happens to the 2017 U.S. Women's Open at Trump Bedminster, the 2022 PGA at the same venue, and of course, rumored Scottish Open's at Trump International or Open Championship at Turnberry.