LIV Golf dealt major blow ahead of 2025 campaign

Trump Turnberry General Manager Dismisses Speculation on LIV Golf Events

Nic Oldham, general manager at Trump Turnberry, has strongly refuted recent rumors suggesting that the prestigious Ailsa Course may soon host LIV Golf League events. Speaking to Mirror Sport, Oldham asserted that there is “zero truth” to these claims, emphasizing that only events sanctioned by the R&A (Royal and Ancient Golf Club) will take place at Turnberry, which has been owned by Donald Trump since 2014.

Currently, LIV Golf has yet to reveal its complete schedule for the 2025 season. However, the league has confirmed that it will return to its locations in Adelaide, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Furthermore, LIV Golf is preparing for its upcoming Promotions event in December, which will feature a significant change in format, offering just one qualification spot, reduced from the previous three.

Oldham stressed that Turnberry’s focus remains solely on R&A events, stating, “We wouldn’t want to ever put ourselves in a position not to get The Open back by having another event on there.” According to Oldham, Turnberry will host exclusively R&A-endorsed competitions, which may include a range of events such as amateur tournaments, the Walker Cup, and the Curtis Cup.

The prospect of The Open Championship returning to Trump Turnberry remains uncertain. In 2021, the R&A removed the course from its rotation, citing concerns over Trump’s involvement in the U.S. Capitol riots. This led the governing body to reassess Turnberry’s suitability for hosting one of golf’s premier tournaments. Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers has indicated that the R&A would only consider bringing The Open back to Turnberry if they could ensure that the event would receive the respect and focus it merits—something that could require a change in ownership.

Slumbers underscored that the R&A’s priority is that any future event coverage at Turnberry focus solely on golf and the championship itself. “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,” he said. Additionally, R&A officials have raised questions about Turnberry’s capacity to accommodate a major championship, with some suggesting the course might be too small for such an event.

In a recent notable development, the 2024 Open, held at Royal Troon, set an attendance record with 258,174 spectators—an increase of more than 70,000 from the previous Open held at Troon in 2016.

Portmarnock Set to Host The Open

In related news, Portmarnock Golf Club is set to become the first course outside the UK to host The Open. Golf Ireland recently confirmed that it has received governmental approval for financial support, estimated between £30-33 million, to upgrade the club’s infrastructure in preparation for hosting the major. While specific dates are yet to be announced, it is anticipated that the 2029 Women’s Open will take place at Portmarnock, with the men’s event likely to follow within five years.

Portmarnock has a history of hosting prominent events, including the Walker Cup in 1991 and the Amateur Championship in 2020. In the past, the R&A had excluded Portmarnock from consideration for The Open due to its men-only membership policy, which was only revised in 2021. This change has opened the door for Portmarnock to be included in the selection of potential venues for major tournaments.

As discussions evolve regarding the future of Trump Turnberry and Portmarnock in the competitive golf calendar, the landscape of major championship golf in the UK and Ireland remains active and adaptable.