President Trump Caught on Video Engaging in Alkkagi on Golf Course

Secretly Hitting a Different Ball at a Scottish Golf Course
Over One Million Views, Rapid Spread via X
Golf Journalist Publishes Book "Commander in Cheat"

A video has emerged showing U.S. President Donald Trump engaging in what appears to be 'Alkkagi' during a round of golf.

On July 27 (local time), a video posted on the social networking service X (formerly Twitter) begins with President Trump driving a golf cart toward a ball on what appears to be his own Turnberry Golf Club course in Scotland. Two burly men, who appear to be either security personnel or caddies, are seen walking alongside the golf cart, with Trump himself at the wheel.

Donald Trump, President of the United States, is teeing off at Turnberry Golf Club in Scotland, United Kingdom. Turnberry=EPA Yonhap News Photo

At one point, one of the men quickly walks ahead of the cart, pretends to search for the ball, then discreetly pulls a ball from his pocket and tosses it onto the fairway. President Trump then drives the cart directly to the spot where the ball was placed and, appearing completely unfazed, approaches the ball. The video ends at this moment.

The footage clearly captures the so-called 'Alkkagi'?a situation where, if a player's shot is difficult or goes out of bounds (OB), they secretly drop a new ball and continue playing as if it were the original. Directly in front of where the man placed the ball is a large fairway bunker, and to the immediate left is thick rough. The ball was placed in a favorable spot with relatively short grass just in front of the bunker, making it easy to hit.

This video has already been viewed by over one million people and is rapidly spreading across social media. One X user, who claims to be a former player, commented that "Trump's most frequently used trick is having his caddie go ahead and toss a ball down," describing it as President Trump's signature move. In the book "Commander in Cheat" by ESPN golf journalist Rick Reilly, Trump's routine use of tricks such as Alkkagi and manipulating his score during golf games is described in detail.