2 days Ago By Tom Sunderland
The Open Championship is steering clear of President Donald Trump's Turnberry golf resort for the foreseeable future. The US leader has been informed that his Ayrshire venue in Scotland isn't fit to host one of golf 's most prestigious tournaments again. Turnberry has served as the backdrop for The Open on four occasions to date, with the last being in 2009 when American Stewart Cink claimed the Claret Jug.
Trump acquired the resort in 2014 from Leisurecorp, a Dubai-based firm, for an estimated $60 million. And now R&A chief executive Mark Darbon has said there's no chance for Turnberry to reclaim its status as an Open venue. In his first broadcast interview since taking the helm at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, he cited the significant growth in requirements for a major event weekend as the reason why the location no longer makes the cut.
Darbon – who took on the Chief executive position in November 2024 – discussed the operational challenges of holding a major at Turnberry. And his remarks indicate a blow for Trump after hinting the situation is unlikely to change soon. "The area where there's a bit of challenge is around the logistical and commercial side," he told Sky News .
"The last time we were at Turnberry in 2009 we had 120,000 people there. "These days a modern Open caters for 250,000 people-plus, and so we need the road and rail infrastructure to get our fan base there. We need hotel accommodation for the 60,000 bed nights we need to stage our championship, and it's challenging at that venue.
" A recent act of vandalism at Turnberry brought attention to the resort after an individual was charged for damaging one of the greens, splashing red paint on a building, and scrawling pro-Palestine messages. Darbon acknowledged the political connotations of holding The Open at a Trump-owned course could also influence the decision-making process. "We need to be confident that the focus will be on the sport, and we need to ensure that the venue works for our requirement," he added.
Relations between the United States and the United Kingdom have become strained since Trump assumed office for a second term. The Open is set to revisit Royal Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, later this year and will mark the third time it has hosted the event. Irish golfer Shane Lowry was the last to win the tournament there in 2019, which stands as his sole major victory.
Turnberry's isolated location poses a challenge when compared to other UK courses with superior access to accommodation and amenities. Unless these aspects are improved, Turnberry might find itself out of the running for future Opens as organisers seek to capitalize on the post-Covid bounce in golf participation. "We work with over 140 countries around the world, and in those markets there are now more than 62 million golfers, more than ever before," Darbon continued (via the Irish Star ).
"Some 40-odd million are playing golf regularly on nine and 18-hole golf courses, another 20 million are playing what we would call non-traditional formats like driving ranges, adventure golf, simulator golf. So the game is actually in rude health and our job is to continue to foster that and support it over time." Trump's support for LIV since the onset of golf's civil war in 2021 may not be helping his case.
This could potentially cause friction with the four majors, which are run in collaboration with entities such as the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, direct competitors to LIV. The business magnate has aligned himself with the Saudi-funded competition and is even hosting a stop on the LIV Golf League this year. The Trump National Doral Golf Course in Miami is set to welcome LIV back on April 4, just one week before the 2025 Masters.
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