Donald Trump golf course ‘blacklisted’ from hosting The Open

Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course will not host The Open until the Scottish resort is sold by the former US president.

The Telegraph reports that R&A chiefs have ruled out the South Ayrshire venue as a host for golf’s oldest major while it is owned by Trump.

Trump has been eager to show off one of his premiere courses on golf’s biggest stage, claiming on his Turnberry visit earlier this month that “everybody wants to see the Open Championship here.”

He bought the Turnberry links course in 2014, but an Open has not been held at the venue since back in 2009.

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Speaking to GB news, the 45th president added: “We’re going to make a couple of little minor adjustments but it’s fantastic.”

But the Open will be out of bounds for Turnberry whilst 76-year-old Trump is still the resort’s proprietor.

An R&A source told the Telegraph that the stance on Turnberry hosting the Open “remains unchanged” from when the US Capitol attack unfolded in January 2021.

It was then believed that the perceived threat of protestors made the venue too high-risk to stage the tournament.

And an R&A source added that Trump “would have to sell up before anything changes.”

But Trump, who is facing a US criminal trial in March 2024 over 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, will still host some big events on the golfing calendar this year.

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LIV Golf’s 14-tournament invitational circuit has three stops at Trump-owned venues, including last week’s Washington DC event where he played in the Pro-Am.

There will also be LIV events at Trump’s Bedminster course and Trump Doral in Miami before the season finale in Jeddah in November.

Meanwhile, Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire will host the Senior PGA Championship on the Legends Tour this August.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.