No10 has refused to slap down reports that Government officials pushed for the 2028 Open to be held at Donald Trump’s Scottish golf course.
The US President is reportedly pushing for the prestigous tournament to be held at Turnberry, South Ayrshire. Organisers the R&A are claimed to have received repeated requests from golf fanatic Mr Trump.
It has been reported that Mr Trump has asked Keir Starmer several times about the possibility of hosting the Open at Turnberry. But No10 said it is a decision for the R&A.
The PM’s official spokesman did not slap down the reports. But he added: “It’s clearly right and proper and usual for Government to engage with organisers of major sporting events as part of the business of government, but in terms of decisions around tournament hosting venues, that is for the relevant sporting bodies to take decisions on.”
It comes after a Whitehall insider told The Guardian: “The government is doing everything it can to get close to Trump. One concrete thing is that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been involved in pushing for the Open to return to Trump-owned Turnberry.”
Thew newspaper reported that officials had asked what hurdles would have to be overcome for the tournament to be held there. Turnberry has been owned by Mr Trump’s company, the Trump Organisation, since 2014 and the president has in the past called publicly for the Open to be held there.
In 2023 he said: “Everybody wants to see the Open championship here.” The R&A has previously ruled out allowing the Open to be held at Turnberry following the January 6 attack by Trump fanatics, but has since changed leadership.
The course has hosted the tournament in the past, with the last occasion coming in 2009. But attendances have grown since then, leading to concerns the surrounding infrastructure could no longer cope with hosting the event.
Last week, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon described Turnberry as “better now than it ever has been”, but added: “There are some challenges around the road and rail network, some of the accommodation provision in the surrounding area, and so we’re working on what a model could look like for the future.”
A spokesman for the R&A said: “We regularly engage with Government and local government regarding venues. We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the Government and they are aware of the position.”
Earlier this year a UK minister told the Financial Times that “tens, or hundreds, of millions of pounds of investment” would be needed to improve the course’s accessibility.
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