Senior Whitehall officials have asked golf bosses whether the 2028 Open Championship can be hosted at Donald Trump's Turnberry course, following repeated requests from the US president, sources have said. The officials approached senior figures at the R&A, which organises the tournament, to inquire about the hurdles to staging the event at the Ayrshire venue.
One source described the talks as direct lobbying from the government, while others said officials had asked about hypothetical problems rather than insisting on the event. A person with knowledge of the discussions stated: "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."
Two other people briefed on conversations between Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the US president had raised the matter multiple times. Trump has previously lobbied publicly, saying in 2023: "Everybody wants to see the Open championship here." King Charles also acknowledged the course's importance to Trump, offering a visit to one of his Scottish estates should the president be in the country visiting Turnberry.
Hosting the Open could provide a financial boost for SLC Turnberry, the course's operating company run by Trump's sons. Last year the company lost £1.7m, having made £571,000 the previous year – its only profit in a decade. The R&A has a list of nine or ten historic courses for the Open, including Turnberry, which hosted in 2009. However, the event has grown substantially since then, with attendance rising from 123,000 in 2009 to over 250,000 at Royal Troon last year.
The R&A previously ruled out Turnberry after the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, citing a desire to avoid "media noise." But new chief executive Mark Darbon said last week he would like to see the championship return "at some point." Discussions between officials and the R&A have focused on logistical challenges, including spectator access via road, rail, and air. Turnberry is a two-and-a-half-hour train journey from Glasgow or a one-hour drive along a single A-road. One minister said the venue would need "tens, or hundreds, of millions of pounds of investment" to improve infrastructure.
A spokesperson 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."
