R&A: Turnberry faces no bar on hosting Open
We are keeping politics out of tournament, say chiefs
DONALD TRUMP’S Turnberry remains in contention to host golf’s oldest major tournament – but it will not be on course to feature for at least another five years.
The R&A, which organises The Open, has indicated nothing Mr Trump has done before and after he became the US President is standing in the way of Turnberry’s future prospects. It last staged the Open in 2009.
The news came as MPs clashed over whether Mr Trump should be given a state visit to the UK in a packed Westminster debate that saw protesters gather across the UK, including Glasgow.
The SNP’s international affairs spokesman Alex Salmond said it was difficult to know whether to be “appalled at the morality or astonished by the stupidity” of the invitation extended by Prime Minister Theresa May, but Tory Nigel Evans told critics of the US President to “get over it”.
The Westminster Hall debate was triggered by two petitions – one against the state visit, which got 1.85 million signatures, and one in favour that got 311,000, but it was approved by MPs.
Turnberry had been favourite to host the Open in 2019 but the R&A instead handed it to Royal Portrush, in Northern Ireland, for this first time since 1953.
Yesterday, the R&A announced Royal St George’s in Kent would host the 2020 event, while The 150th Open tournament in 2021 is likely to be held at St Andrews. Turnberry is now believed to be in the running for 2022.
In late 2015, after Mr Trump’s remarks calling for a ban on Muslims entering the US, the R&A privately let it be known the renamed Trump Turnberry may no longer host the game’s most prestigious tournament.
Prospects were further blighted by more controversial remarks made by Mr Trump in his campaign for the Republican nomination – about Muslims, Mexicans, Chinese and women, among others – and gave him a near-pariah status in the global game, raising the risk of a boycott by sponsors and international players.
Mr Trump called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and called for a wall to be built along the United States-Mexico border.
The comment, according to R&A insiders at the time, raised eyebrows about what might come next.
The Grand Slam of Golf was moved from Trump National in Los Angeles, while the PGA Tour switched the WGC-Cadillac Championship from Trump National Doral to Mexico City from this year. The event was renamed the WGC-Mexico Championship and will be staged next week.
Since Mr Trump became the US president, he has committed to building the wall, and brought in a ban on citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries from entering the US that was subsequently suspended.
The chief executive of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Martin Slumbers, had originally been expected to endorse Turnberry as a venue for the 2020 Open but after Royal St George’s was announced yesterday as the venue Mr Slumbers said nothing had happened in the past year that had changed their focus on Turnberry.
He said: “Turnberry remains as one of our nine golf courses – 2020 and 2021 did not involve Turnberry and we’ll not be thinking about 2022 for at least another year.”
He added: “I think it’s very important we’re clear about what our business is, which is making sure the Open Championship is one of the world’s greatest sporting events, and staying out of politics.
“We are clearly now in uncharted territory. Sitting presidents have attended US Opens. We have not had a sitting president of the United States at an Open Championship.”