President Donald Trump plays at his Turnberry Field in Ayrshire in May 2023. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
Golf's shocking merger between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund could help revive Donald Trump's dream of hosting an open championship at his Turnberry course.
Industry insiders say leverage the former US President's influences may have increased in the game. due to its long-term support of the LIV, the breakaway league funded the Kingdom's State Investment Fund.
R&A, which runs the Open, is currently pushing its decision to rule out a return to Turnberry. due to the potential distraction caused by Trump and the protests.
However, as the status quo in golf has been disrupted by the PIF pact, powerful players in the sport are changing, with PIF Gov. Yasser Al Rumayan as chairman new organization. And one senior official suggested that the Saudis might end up relying on tours and eventually R&A to at least let Trump deliver his pitch.
«PIF's new position at the top of the golf table could well help Trump as he has been a big supporter of the LIV,» the source added. The main R&A concern around Trump after the 2021 Capitol riots is that his presence could put too much strain on security due to the possibility of protests.
Turnberry last hosted the Open in 2009 when Stuart Sink beat veteran Tom Watson. Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images
However, a well-connected man from elsewhere in the sport said, «All it would take is for his people to meet with R&A and make sure Trump doesn't show up this week.» open doors and won't try to take over the event like he did at the Women's Open in 2015.»
The Trump family were stunned when Telegraph Sport detailed last month how R&A remains as adamant as ever that Turnberry will not be chosen despite £150. over a million improvements in recent years.
In an article for Telegraph Sport, Trump's son Eric, executive vice president of the Trump Organization, writes that organizers should keep politics out of golf. “In a family so deeply devoted to the birthplace of golf, we never imagined that politics could potentially jeopardize Turnberry's ability to host another Open Championship,” he adds.
However, other figures in the sport suggest that there may be other factors. «Turnberry is not drawing crowds at other Open venues — this could be a scam for the convenience of St. Andrews,» another source said.
It's only been three days since the golf war with the LIV was called off and soon In all, it will be some time before PIF officials decide whether or not to support Trump's calls for Open.Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, won the first of his two Opens at Turnberry in 1986. Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images However, the Trump Organization is already leading the way in reducing R&A. Eric Trump adds in his op-ed, “This shouldn't be about politics; it should be about playing golf and showcasing the most spectacular stadium in the UK and the world.”
One source close to R&A, which runs Open, suggested last week that Trump's only option would be to sell as he is still perceived as a major security risk due to potential protests.
It's R&A week hailed the breakthrough in the PGA Tour-LIV series, while Trump, who hosted the LIV events, hailed the «big, beautiful and glamorous deal.»
Trump bought Turnberry in 2014, five years after he last organized the oldest major golf company. R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers first stated in January 2021 that his organization «does not plan to host any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so for the foreseeable future.»
However, underlining the authority of the Scottish course, Eric Trump, credited with helping redesign Miami's Trump National Doral course, writes that «Turnberry deserves to host The Open.»
“At a time when companies are slow to do business in Scotland, we are an American family, investing a fortune and working hard to preserve one of the most iconic assets in the country,” he writes. “If they call us, and I sincerely hope so, I promise the R&A that we will be the best hosts the Open Championship has ever seen. Turnberry's best days and most memorable moments are yet to come.»
The Trump Organization owns Turnberry and more than 500 other businesses around the world, including dozens of hotels and golf resorts.
Before the Ayrshire stadium changed hands, it hosted four Open Championships, including the famous Duel in the Sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977 and Stuart Sink's epic defeat of the 59-year-old Watson in 2009. Greg Norman and Nick Price have also raised the Claret pitcher on the course.
«Having invested nearly $200 million [£160 million] since its acquisition, no one has been more dedicated and committed to preserving Turnberry than the Trump family» . Eric Trump writes.
Trump Sr., considered the Republican nominee for the second office in the White House, recently discussed relations with R&A.
In an interview during his last visit to the field on May 3, he said he «spent a huge amount of money» for the redevelopment of the course on the advice of former R&A chief executive Peter Dawson.
Trump will host his biggest men's tournament in the UK to date in August, the PGA Seniors Championship at his links course near Aberdeen. His courses are hosting three Saudi-funded events this year, including last month in Washington DC. will stand trial in the United States after pleading not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Last month, a civilian jury found that Trump raped a council columnist in the mid-1990s and ordered him pay her $5 million in damages, but the jury dismissed the rape charge.
Свежие комментарии