Trump Turnberry passed over as 2028 British Open venue

Turnberry
Donald Trump's Turnberry course in Scotland will have to wait to become a British Open venue again. -AP

The 2028 British Open Championship has been awarded to England's Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, meaning that Scotland's Trump Turnberry course must wait until at least 2029 ‌to again host the oldest major.

"Turnberry is still in our thinking," R&A CEO Mark ‌Darbon said Monday at Royal Birkdale Golf Club during media day for this year's Open Championship in July.

Turnberry last hosted the Open in 2009, five years before the Trump Organisation -- parent company of US President ‌Donald Trump's ‌real estate portfolio -- purchased ⁠the property for $US60 million ($A83 million).

Turnberry, which also hosted ​the Open in 1977, 1986 and 1994, has undergone a reported $US200 million ($A278 million) revamp since joining the Trump umbrella, according to Front Office Sports.

Trump's sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have been in charge ⁠of the day-to-day operations of the Trump ‌Organisation ​since 2017.

Attendance at the 2009 Open at Turnberry was an estimated ​123,000 fans, ‌far below the 200,000-plus common at many of the other venues ​in rotation.

"We really like the golf course," Darbon said Monday. "We know that there are some logistical challenges that relate to staging ​a ​modern Open Championship there, primarily ​off the course -- road, rail, and accommodation ‌infrastructure.

"We've got a really good dialogue with the club and its ownership, pretty transparent discussion there."

Stewart Cink defeated 59-year-old Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff to win the Open at Turnberry in 2009.

Royal Lytham & St ​Annes has hosted the Open Championship 11 times since 1926, most ​recently in 2012 ⁠when South Africa's Ernie Els defeated Adam ​Scott by one stroke.