Sen. Eric Schmitt is defending President Donald Trump’s golf record after Trump claimed victories in two more club championships at one of his own courses.
The Missouri Republican told TMZ that he has played several rounds with Trump and considers the president a legitimately skilled golfer who does not need to cheat.
Schmitt said he plays competitively when Trump invites him onto the course and does not deliberately make things easier for the president. He acknowledged that he has yet to beat Trump himself.
His comments followed Trump’s announcement that he had won both the Senior and Super Senior Club Championships at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
Schmitt Says He Does Not Go Easy on Trump
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TMZ approached Schmitt on Capitol Hill and asked about longstanding accusations that Trump bends golf rules or receives favorable treatment while playing. Schmitt rejected that characterization, saying his experience playing with the president had shown him that Trump is a strong golfer.
He also said holding back would be difficult because Trump would recognize if an opponent were deliberately going easy on him. Schmitt told the outlet that he has played several rounds with Trump but has not managed to defeat him.
He also pointed to the many club championships credited to Trump as evidence of the president’s experience on the course. TMZ described Trump as having 40 club championships, though claims about the total number and circumstances of some of those victories have been disputed over the years.
Trump Says He Won Two Titles at Bedminster
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Trump announced on August 2nd that he had won both the Senior and Super Senior Club Championships at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. According to PEOPLE, the 80-year-old president said he completed the Tom Fazio-designed course with a two-under-par score of 70.
“I won with a score of 70, and am so honored in that, unlike the rest of the field, I’m given very little time to practice, because I’m focused on many other things,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He attributed the result to his ability. “It’s called TALENT, and I have it, and they don’t!” Trump wrote, while also congratulating the other competitors. Trump shared video of what he described as his winning shot.
Trump’s Club Championship Claims Have Long Drawn Scrutiny
Trump has frequently promoted his golf ability and victories at clubs bearing his name. The PGA Club Championship database lists him as the Senior Men Club Champion at Bedminster in 2023 and 2024 and as the club’s Super Senior Men champion in 2023.
Other aspects of Trump’s golf record have been challenged by critics, most prominently veteran sportswriter Rick Reilly. Reilly, who wrote Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump, has accused Trump of manipulating scores, moving balls and using unconventional methods to claim club championships.
In a 2024 interview cited by PEOPLE, Reilly alleged that Trump once told him he would play the first round after acquiring a new course by himself and then declare himself the club champion. Those allegations have been disputed by Trump and his supporters. Schmitt said his own rounds with the president have given him no reason to believe Trump needs to cheat.
Schmitt’s Defense Comes From His Own Rounds With Trump
Schmitt, a Republican who represents Missouri in the U.S. Senate, framed his assessment around what he has personally seen while playing with the president.
He said Trump continues inviting him onto the course even though Schmitt plays competitively rather than treating the rounds as ceremonial appearances.
The PGA Club Championship database currently records Trump as a Bedminster Senior Men champion in both 2023 and 2024 and a Super Senior Men champion in 2023.