US President (and self-proclaimed fairway phenom) Donald Trump is back in the social media spotlight – not for speeches, rallies or subpoenas, but for his alleged golf game shenanigans during a whirlwind three-day tour of Scotland.

The 79-year-old, known almost as much for his love of golf as he is for… well, everything else, visited his prized Scottish properties (Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links) and somehow managed to squeeze in both a round of golf and an international trade announcement. Multitasking at its most presidential.

While standing beside European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to announce a 15 per cent US tariff on all EU imports, Trump barely paused before hopping back into a golf cart faster than you can say “executive privilege”.

But it wasn’t the tariff, the swing, or even his signature red cap that set social media ablaze. It was a ball drop… and not the fun kind we watch on New Year’s Eve.

In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter, always confusing), a caddie (or possibly a man in a red vest with very questionable timing) is seen casually strolling ahead of Trump’s cart, slowing down and discreetly tossing a golf ball onto the first cut of rough – a far cry from the deep Scottish gorse where wayward balls go to die.

Moments later, Trump rolls up, club in hand, ready to “play it as it lies” – which, coincidentally, may also double as a personal motto.

Cue the internet meltdown.

“Oh my God this is so pathetic,” tweeted author Richard Hanania, capturing the collective disbelief. “Trump’s cronies drop the golf ball in front of him. He pretends to notice it at that spot. Today, MAGA influencers are tweeting out almost identical messages about his golf swing. We really are in North Korea.”

Others chimed in with observations and zingers worthy of a Comedy Central roast. “Trump caught cheating at golf. Watch the second guy in the red vest toss a ball behind him,” wrote US veteran John Jackson.

“LMAO for the morons that think Trump doesn’t cheat at golf…” said another user, who clearly wasn’t buying what the caddie was selling (or dropping).

One viewer summed it up perfectly: “The mystery of how Trump is winning all these golf tournaments… solved.”

Naturally, Trump supporters were quick to leap into action, with explanations ranging from the reasonable (“That’s called a drop, it’s standard golf protocol”) to the bold (“Those aren’t caddies, they’re Secret Service checking the terrain”).

One user offered a helpful reminder: “When you lose a ball, you drop a new one with a penalty, that’s kinda how golf works.” Yes, but usually you don’t drop it three feet from the green like it’s an Easter egg.

In the end, whether it was a “cheat”, a “drop” or just a caddie trying to go viral, one thing’s for sure – Trump’s golf game continues to be the most entertaining round in politics. Tiger Woods may have green jackets, but Trump? Trump’s got red vests and an unlimited mulligan policy.

Images: X (Formerly Twitter)