Commander in Cheat

Celebrities and players have accused President Donald Trump of being one of the worst golf cheats to play the game-- lying about his score, taking second attempts at shots, and taking credit for other players' shots.

In his new book, Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, Reilly, who interviewed former professional golfers and celebrities wrote: "To say "Donald Trump cheats" is like saying Michael Phelps swims."

"Trump doesn't just cheat at golf. He cheats like a three-card monte dealer. He throws it, boots it and moves it," Reilly wrote. 

According to Reilly, there was one game in which Trump played against former ESPN announcer Mike Tirico, before the president was elected.  Tirico hit a 230-yard 3-wood towards an elevated green he was unable to see.  Tirico knew it was close, but by the time he got to the green, the ball was gone.  It was eventually found 50-feet left of the hole in a bunker. 

Tirico told Reilly that it didn't make any sense until Trump's caddy came up to him after the round.  'Trump’s caddy came up to me and said, "You know that shot you hit on the par 5?" Tirico said.  "'It was about 10 feet from the hole. Trump threw it in the bunker. I watched him do it,"' Tirico told Reilly.

Reilly also tells another story in his book that involves Trump claiming that his handicap is a 2.8.  Legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus, who has 18 major golf titles under his belt, has a handicap of 3.4,  "If Trump is a 2.8," Reilly wrote. "Queen Elizabeth is a pole vaulter."

Caddies at Mar-a-Lago have given Trump the nickname 'Pele' because he would kick the ball so often to move it to a better position. 

Trump, who has faced scrutiny for the amount of time he spends golfing, has previously denied cheating.  But golfers and other celebs told Reilly otherwise: "Whether you're his pharmacist or Tiger Woods, if you're playing golf with him, he's going to cheat."  According to the sports writer, Trump would take second chances on a shot, claiming he had been distracted or a bird had flown over, and hit other players' balls that were closer to the hole.

On another occasion, Trump reportedly hit a ball into a lake and while his opponents weren't looking, he dropped another ball, according to veteran PGA Tour pro Brad Faxon.

Trump has come under scrutiny for the amount of time he spends playing golf, after he criticized his predecessor Barack Obama for the same thing.   On the campaign trail he promised voters: "I'm going to be working for you. I'm not going to have time to go play golf."  But after his first year in office White House schedules and press reports revealed he had spent time at a golf resort on 91 out of 365 days.