The R&A has restated it has no intentions of returning the Open Championship to Trump Turnberry.

Earlier this week President Donald Trump referenced his ownership of Turnberry in meeting with United Kingdom prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. Following Starmer’s visits there were multiple reports that Trump wants help from the UK government to guide the claret jug to his resort on the western coast of Scotland. As noted in a piece detailing Trump’s involvement in the PGA Tour negotiations with Saudi Arabia, while the PGA Tour or DP World Tour has no jurisdiction over the R&A’s decisions, having those voices vouch for Trump would add weight to his Open candidacy.

However, in an interview with the Telegraph’s James Corrigan, new R&A chief Mark Darbon said his organisation will not be swayed by requests from the government.

Trump acquired Turnberry Resort in 2014. The venue already hosted four Open Championships with a fifth Open visiting in 2020 considered a formality. However, following his candidacy for the United States presidency, coupled with a high-profile appearance at Turnberry for the Women’s Open in 2015, the R&A removed Turnberry from the its championship rota. “Major championships should focus purely on the golf course and the competitors battling upon it,” R&A CEO Martin Slumbers declared in a November 2024 Golf Channel interview. “We cannot allow external media noise to overshadow what remains the original and most historic championship in golf. The tournament’s integrity demands that golf alone commands the spotlight.”

Though Darbon echoed Slumbers’ opinion, he also added one of the reasons the R&A won’t return to Turnberry in the near future has more to do with logistics and commercial enterprise. “That’s crucial for us, because through the Open, we generate most of our revenue and we use that to invest in the rest of the game all around the world,” Darbon told the Telegraph. “So the reality is that modern-day Open requires a venue that can support us logistically and commercially.”

Trump’s public stance on Turnberry’s Open prospects has oscillated wildly—from reluctant acceptance that it won’t happen to claiming at LIV’s 2022 finale that the R&A was eager to return. The R&A’s response was swift: “There is no change to our position on this.” Behind the scenes, Trump’s maneuvering has been more calculated. The New York Times revealed his 2018 attempt to leverage diplomatic channels, pressing Ambassador Woody Johnson to influence British officials in steering the Open back to Turnberry. While Trump denied the report, Johnson—the heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune—offered a carefully parsed response, stating only that he “followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times.”

Three of President Trump’s golf properties are set to host LIV Golf events in 2025. There is belief from those familiar with the ongoing discussions between the PIF and PGA Tour that Trump could be rewarded a tour stop should a peace treaty be reached. Trump Doral hosted the Miami tour event for 55 years before moving in 2016. When asked about these prospects, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan told Golf Digest, “Listen, we’ve played at Trump venues in the past. While we haven’t talked about that with the president, I certainly see a day where we’re adding Trump venues to our schedule, certainly.”

Main Image: David Canon