Gary Player adamant Turnberry should be back on Open rota

Gary Player believes that Turnberry, his second favourite course in the world, deserves to be back on The Open rota.

The 87-year-old icon wants golf’s oldest major to return to Turnberry, despite the R&A’s clear stance over hosting the championship at the Ayrshire venue.

In January 2021, a statement written by R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers read: “We have no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future.

• Trump course ‘blacklisted from Open’

• Trump discusses ‘spectacular course’ in Scotland 

“We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”

And it is understood that the R&A will not stage a major tournament at Turnberry until the course no longer is affiliated with Donald Trump.

The Telegraph reported back in May that the resort has been blacklisted by the Open organisers amid concerns over security risks because of possible protests.

Slumbers reiterated in his annual press conference before this year’s Open at Royal Liverpool that his position has not changed.

He said: “The essential statement that we made then was that until we’re confident that any coverage at Turnberry would be about golf, about the golf course and about the championship, until we’re confident about that, we will not return any of our championships there.”

With all the golf I’ve played in my life, it is not often that I stop to snap a photo on a green. But Turnberry is incredibly special and is a close second to Pine Valley in my top two courses on the planet. No doubt Turnberry deserves to be back on The Open’s Rota. It’s an… pic.twitter.com/oGwutEyI3H

— GARY PLAYER (@garyplayer) July 27, 2023

But Player, who won the Open three times in his garlanded career, clearly does not agree with the R&A’s call.

Player has spent some time on the Ayrshire course this summer and is adamant that the course should be afforded the opportunity to return to the Open rota.

“With all the golf I’ve played in my life, it is not often that I stop to snap a photo on a green,” Player wrote in a Twitter post on Thursday.

“But Turnberry is incredibly special and is a close second to Pine Valley in my top two courses on the planet.

• WATCH: Trump caught hitting almighty shank

• Venue for 2026 Open Championship announced

“No doubt Turnberry deserves to be back on The Open’s Rota. It’s an absolute paradise of links golf with a storied history.”

Turnberry last hosted an Open in 2009, where Tom Watson was agonisingly edged out by Stewart Cink in a four-hole playoff.

The venue has hosted the competition four times in total, but not since Trump’s involvement when the 45th US President purchased Turnberry back in 2014.

The Open will be held at Royal Troon next year, before returning to Royal Portrush in 2025 and Royal Birkdale in 2026.