Golf icon Gary Player fires Donald Trump message to R&A after Open snub

Nine-time major champion Gary Player has called for the R&A to reintroduce Turnberry to The Open Championship rota and has expressed his support for US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Turnberry’s Ailsa course is ranked as the third-best course in the UK and 10th in the world by Top100GolfCourses.com. However, it has not hosted The Open since 2009, when Stewart Cink defeated Tom Watson in a memorable finale. Trump purchased the property in 2014 and relaunched it two years later following a £200 million refurbishment.

The Open is organized by the R&A, and its CEO Martin Slumbers stated last year: “Until we’re confident that any coverage at Turnberry would be about golf, about the golf course and about the championship, we will not return any of our championships there.”

Trump, who is 78, is aiming to return to the White House for a second term. He was president from 2016 to 2020 before losing to Joe Biden. As Biden will not seek re-election, Trump is set to face Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.

Trump has been a polarizing figure in both business and politics, leading the R&A to avoid hosting its premier event at his venue, despite its high ranking. However, 88-year-old Player, a friend of Trump, believes The Open should return to what he considers Scotland’s best golf course.

“It must come back,” Player told Bunkered. “Fairness in life. Some might say Donald Trump did… what about every other President? They all did something wrong. Not only Donald Trump.

“Every one of them. It says in the Bible: Forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. It’s wrong and it’s cruel and it’s unfair not to have The Open go back to Turnberry because it’s the best golf course. That and Carnoustie. Carnoustie and Trump Turnberry are the two best golf courses in Scotland.”

The South African, who received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump just a day after the Capitol riot by Trump supporters, made his political stance clear ahead of the election.

“I walked into Trump Turnberry the other day – by the way, he’s made great investments in Scotland,” Player said. “I play golf with him almost every three weeks. He’s a very nice man and the stuff I read about him I can’t believe. I read about the opposition saying ‘he’s going to ruin democracy’. He’s going to improve our democracy, not ruin it.”