Huge boost for Donald Trump as UK golf course he's spent £200m on could host The Open

Golf's oldest and most prestigious international event could be held at Donald Trump's Scottish course for the first time in over a decade. The Open Championship was last held at golf course in South Ayrshire in 2009, five years before Trump bought the resort. The course is widely considered among the best in the world, but governing body the R&A is thought to have leaned towards alternative tournament grounds in a bid to avoid negative press through association with the US leader.

"We will not return until we are convinced 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," R&A chief said in 2021. But the organisation now appears to have made a U-turn on its decision, with new chief executive Mark Darbon admitting that he "would love" Turnberry to host the Open Championship in the future.

Mr Darbon said the only challenges to holding the tournament in South Ayrshire were linked to the logistics of the region's remote location - rather than dwelling on the reputational impact widely reported as the central reason for the championship's withdrawal.

"At Turnberry, there are definitely some logistical and commercial challenges that we face around the road, rail and accommodaton infrastructure," he said, according to the BBC.

"We're doing some feasibility work around what it would look like to return to that venue and the investment that it would require."

He also pointed to a rise in the number of attendees of the renowned golf competition, which has rocketed from 120,000 to 278,000 since 2009.

This year's competition will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland for the third time this July - with its ticket sales set to make it the region's biggest ever sporting event.

The R&A's concerns about Turnberry's capacity to stage a tournament that has more than doubled in size could be allayed by the significant £200m package of improvements Trump has rolled out at the site since buying it in 2014.

The ambitious project, with an aim of creating "the finest golf and spa resort in the world", including a "transformation" of the main Ailsa course, helmed by leading golf course architect Martin Ebert.

"A modern Open Championship is a large-scale event," Mr Darbon said, in response to questions about the event being held at Turnberry. "What we know for sure is the golf course is brilliant, so at some point we'd love to be back there."