Donald Trump once claimed he beat Phil Mickelson’s score on a course

Photo by Charles Laberge/LIV Golf via Getty Images

Donald Trump once claimed he shot a 67 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, a score that drew attention because it was lower than Phil Mickelson’s recent round on the same course.

The post came on August 27, 2023, which makes this a throwback to one of Trump’s most talked-about golf claims. It was not just the win that stood out, it was the number attached to it.

A 67 from any amateur player would raise eyebrows. A 67 on a course that had just hosted elite professional golfers made the claim even more striking.

Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump claimed a stunning Bedminster round

Donald Trump revealed in his August 2023 post on Truth Social that he had won the Senior Club Championship at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster with a round of 67.

“I am pleased to report, for those that care, that I just won the Senior Club Championship (must be over 50 years old!) at Bedminster (Trump National Golf Club), shooting a round of 67. Now, some people will think that sounds low, but there is no hanky/lanky,” Trump wrote.

He added, “Many people watch, plus I am surrounded by Secret Service Agents. Not much you can do even if you wanted to, and I don’t.

“For some reason, I am just a good golfer/athlete – I have won many Club Championships, and it is always a great honor!”

Trump clearly knew the score would invite skepticism. That is why the post included a defense of the round before critics had even finished reacting.

The phrase “no hanky/lanky” became part of the story because it showed Trump trying to address doubts around a very low number.

Phil Mickelson’s comparison to Donald Trump’s score is harder to ignore

The reason the claim traveled so widely was the Phil Mickelson comparison. Around two weeks earlier, Mickelson had shot 75 at Bedminster during a Saudi-backed LIV Golf event.

That meant Trump’s claimed 67 was eight shots better than the score posted by a six-time major champion on the same course.

That comparison sounds implausible on its face, but the course context matters. Trump was playing in a senior club event, not a professional LIV tournament.

That likely meant different tees. There may also have been friendlier course conditions, including changes to rough height and overall setup.

Those details do not prove or disprove the round. They simply explain why the two scores cannot be compared as if Trump and Mickelson played the exact same test.

Still, the optics were obvious. Trump did not just claim another club title, he claimed a number that looked better than one of golf’s most accomplished players had managed at Bedminster that month.

That is why the post remains memorable. It combined Trump’s confidence, his golf obsession, and a score that was always going to invite debate.

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