R&A Confirms Turnberry Off Open Rota For Foreseeable Future

Wow! The R&A has finally admitted that Turnberry has not been and will not be considered for Opens

R&A Confirms Turnberry Off Open Rota For Foreseeable Future

The R&A has confirmed that Turnberry is not being considered to stage any Opens in the foreseeable future.

The Trump-owned venue has not hosted an Open since 2009 when Stewart Cink defeated Tom Watson in a playoff.

Incredibly, the governing body has not just said Turnberry won't host in the foreseeable future but has also now publicly admitted that it has been off the rota.

“We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future," R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement.

"We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”

This follows the PGA of America dropping Trump's Bedminster venue for next year's PGA Championship after the US Capitol riots last week.

We have always suspected that Turnberry has been off the rota since Trump bought it and then became President, although the R&A has never admitted this until now.

“We have 10 courses that we look to stage the Open Championship on, of which Turnberry is one of them,” R&A Chief Executive Martin Slumbers said in 2019.

“Turnberry will be in consideration for 2023, but it’s not a rota,” he continued.

“We look at all the issues in the round, but Turnberry remains as one of the 10 courses where we could stage the Open Championship.”

The Open is scheduled to return this summer at Royal St George's in Kent after it was cancelled in 2020.

St Andrews is set to host the 150th Open next year.

Royal Liverpool will host in 2023, with Royal Troon the venue for 2024.

Turnberry has hosted four Opens, with Tom Watson winning in 1977, Greg Norman winning in 1986, Nick Price in 1994 and Stewart Cink in 2009.

It remains to be seen when or if it will host the world's oldest golf Major again.