The prominence of LIV Golf is helping shift attitudes in the sport, and could lead to President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course hosting The Open again – it’s been reported
President Donald Trump’s hopes of hosting The Open at Turnberry have been boosted by LIV Golf(Image: Getty)
LIV Golf has helped push President Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf course closer to hosting The Open again, with tournament decision makers being more “open-minded” following the breakaway league’s emergence, according to Nic Oldham, the new manager of Trump Turnberry.
The Open has not been staged at Turnberry, on the coast of South Ayrshire, since 2009, with the R&A citing issues such as transport, lodging, and general infrastructure. The course’s association with the Trump brand also introduced political complications that weighed heavily on scheduling decisions.
In 2021, then–chief executive Martin Slumbers stated that the tournament would stay away from Turnberry as long as politics threatened to eclipse the sport. Even so, Nic has expressed renewed optimism that the golf major could one day return, noting that attitudes within golf have evolved in recent years.
READ MORE: Donald Trump’s son showed true colors with immediate reaction to Turnberry Golf Club vandalismREAD MORE: Bill Belichick hit with another UNC setback amid woeful start
Since Slumbers’ comments, Trump has returned to the White House to complete a second non-consecutive term as President of the U.S. Four years ago, when Slumbers addressed Turnberry hosting the open, it came shortly after Trump had lost the 2020 election to the 46th President, Joe Biden, and the events of the January 6th Capitol riots.
The Trump family, led by Trump’s son Eric Trump, oversees Turnberry’s operations and ongoing investment. The family’s close ties to key players on both sides of golf’s civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf could aid the course’s chances of hosting The Open again. The President even held a working session at the White House shortly after assuming office with representatives from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf amid efforts to resolve a dispute.
And although Trump is willing to play peacemaker and settle golf’s disputes, as he is also attempting to do with conflicts globally, LIV Golf’s emergence in the sport despite its disruptions has worked in the President’s favor, according to Oldham, the new manager of Trump Turnberry.
President Trump played at Turnberry in July(Image: ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Oldham has claimed that LIV Golf has helped change viewpoints in the game, which could then impact Turnberry’s chances of hosting The Open. He said to The Scotsman: “I think the story has changed. LIV has shifted attitudes, and people are more open-minded now than they were.
“At first there was a closed view, but today the conversations feel more sensible. Martin Slumbers was clear in closing the door at the time, and that was fair enough, but now there’s recognition that a feasibility study is needed. That makes the prospect more open than it has ever been.”
Infrastructure has been one of the main concerns over Turnberry hosting the major. However, Oldham says recent success in Troon proves it can be done.
Eric Trump (right) is prominently involved in the running of Trump Turnberry(Image: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“We’re an hour from Glasgow on a trunk road that forms part of the UK’s core infrastructure,” he continued. “Accommodation is no greater a challenge than at other venues: for Portrush, many visitors stayed in Belfast, yet that Open was a success.
“Look at Troon. If it can be done there, it can be done here. Every golfer in the world wants to play Turnberry.
“It’s considered the fairest of Open venues — from every tee you can see the bunkers, the approach to the green, and the sea on nearly every hole. The product is ready, it’s just a matter of timing.”
