Golf star on playing with Trump: ‘He cheats like hell’

LPGA Tour golfer Suzann Pettersen says in a new interview that President Trump “cheats like hell” when the two friends golf together, and embellishes his scores on the course.

“He cheats like hell … so I don’t quite know how he is in business. They say that if you cheat at golf, you cheat at business,” Pettersen told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.

“I’m pretty sure he pays his caddie well, since no matter how far into the woods he hits the ball, it’s in the middle of the fairway when we get there,” she said with a laugh. 

{mosads}Pettersen, who has been friends with Trump for more than a decade, also chided Trump for touting his low scores on the course, saying she hasn’t seen him break 80 when the two play together. 

“What’s strange is that every time I talk to him he says he just golfed a 69, or that he set a new course record,” Pettersen said. “I just laugh. I’m someone who likes being teased and I like teasing others, and Trump takes it well.”

Trump has spent nearly 100 days on the golf course since taking office, playing at his own private clubs. He frequently ridiculed former President Obama for how often he played golf while in office.

The president has played with several professional players and lawmakers. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said last year that Trump shot a 73 in “windy and wet conditions.”

Pettersen told Verdens Gang that she enjoys golfing with Trump. The two spoke at least once a month before Trump took office, and they have met twice since he became president. 

Pettersen said she doesn’t support Trump’s policies, and criticized him for his rhetoric on the campaign trail and since taking office. 

However, she said she appreciates Trump’s support for women’s golf, and respects him as a businessman.

Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, N.J., hosted the U.S. Women’s Open last year.