Donald Trump's Turnberry not dismissed from British Open rotation
Will Turnberry still get a British Open in the future? It might. But it won't be until 2022 or later.
By
Kyle Porter
•
2 min read
This is the ultimate in kicking the can down the road. When it was reported that the R&A might take Turnberry out of the British Open rotation after Donald Trump recently made certain comments about various cultures and ethnicities, most assumed removing the course would ultimately be the R&A's decision.
Not so fast, says new R&A CEO Martin Slumbers.
“We are in advance negotiations and discussions around 2020 and 2021, one of which will be in England because we like to get a balance between English courses and Scottish courses,” Slumbers told The Guardian on Monday. "At no point during those discussions has Turnberry been part of that. So that’s where we are. And 2022 and beyond it is something we don’t have to think about for a few years."
It was previously presumed that Turnberry might get a return trip in 2020. The last one was held there in 2009 when Stewart Cink broke everyone's hearts (except Phil Mickelson) and defeated Tom Watson in a playoff. So Slumbers isn't saying the Open won't go to Turnberry eventually. Only that it won't in 2020 or 2021 and that the R&A won't decide for a few more years on future dates.
"The issue of Turnberry wasn’t something that I expected to be talking about [upon appointment]," said Slumbers. "I think Turnberry is a most wonderful golf course. It’s a brilliant test of links golf and it certainly ranks as one of the 10 best courses, links courses, that we have in this country.”
Slumbers (sort of) warned Trump and others about future British Opens.
“We are also very focused on the macro environment," said Slumbers. "We as an organisation have said that we believe golf should be open to all, regardless of gender, race, nationality or religion, and that’s where we sit.”
The problems if you're Slumbers are many. First, not all of the courses in his current rotation even allow female members. So it looks a little bit hypocritical to give British Opens to those clubs and deny Trump. And of course, there's the Trump issue. His purchase of Turnberry and subsequent transformation of the property has been praised. But you sort of never know what he's going to say next.
So you kick the can down the road and deal with it in two more years.
