Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club will not be the host of The Open Championship in the near term, as the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club has been selected to stage the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 Open will be held at Royal Birkdale, and the tournament will move back to its historic home at St Andrews in 2027.
While Turnberry has long campaigned for a place on the Open rotation, the venue remains sidelined until a range of logistical and financial hurdles can be resolved. Mark Darbon, the current chief executive of the R&A, explained to Sky Sports that Turnberry presents a "logistical challenge" of considerable magnitude. He noted that the modern Open demands a robust infrastructure of roads, rail links and accommodation capacity, and Turnberry’s remote position on the Ayrshire coast makes it difficult to meet those requirements.
"We have a good dialogue with the venue and we remain open‑minded," Darbon said, adding that the R&A will continue discussions to see whether the situation can improve. Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, has also been left out of the R&A’s immediate plans.
The course last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson captured the Claret Jug. Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers had previously stated that Muirfield would not be considered again until it lifted its ban on female members. Although the club voted in 2017 to allow women to apply for membership, it still has not re‑entered the Open rotation, despite public appeals from players such as Rory McIlroy. Current projections suggest Muirfield will not be back on the rota until at least 2031, partly because the neighboring Renaissance Club has secured the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030.
The 2028 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes marks the first time the course will host the championship since 2012, when Ernie Els won his second Claret Jug there. Lytham has a distinguished roll of champions that includes legends like Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval.
Darbon praised the venue, saying, "Royal Lytham & St Annes is widely renowned as one of the world’s finest links courses and has witnessed many great championship moments since the Open first arrived in 1926. This is one of golf’s most cherished and historic venues, and its return will spark huge interest among fans and celebrate the rich traditions of the sport’s original championship." Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham & St Annes, echoed that sentiment: "We are honoured to be chosen as the host venue for the 156th Open in 2028. The club has a long and successful association with the Open, and we take great pride in our place within the championship’s history. It is fitting that this announcement comes as we mark 100 years since Bobby Jones' victory here in 1926 and the granting of our Royal status.
We look forward to welcoming the world’s leading players, together with spectators from across the globe, to our links on England’s golf coast." The R&A has moved the 2028 Open back to its traditional August slot to avoid clashing with the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The 2025 Open was won by Scottie Scheffler at Royal Portrush, giving him his fourth major and first Claret Jug. This year’s Open will be contested at Royal Birkdale from July 16‑19, while Lytham will also host the AIG Women’s Open from July 29 to August 2, both events broadcast live on Sky Sports. Donald Trump, who purchased Turnberry in April 2014, has repeatedly expressed hope that the course could re‑join the Open rotation.
He has reportedly lobbied Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to support the bid. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink claimed victory.
Approximately 120,000 spectators attended that tournament across four rounds. Despite the course’s reputation as one of the finest links in the British Isles, the R&A remains concerned that the remote location would shift focus away from the sport and onto political headlines surrounding the U.S.
president. In a 2021 statement, the R&A explained that it had reservations about Turnberry because the event’s narrative might be dominated by non‑golf issues. That comment came shortly after the PGA of America stripped Trump National Golf Club Bedminster of its right to host the 2022 PGA Championship.
The R&A reiterated its stance: "We have no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry in the foreseeable future. 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 under current circumstances." In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials to discuss the venue. While the talks were described as positive, the core logistical concerns persisted. Darbon said he would "love" to see the Open return to Turnberry, but emphasized that without significant improvements to road, rail and accommodation infrastructure, a return is unlikely.
He recalled the meeting, noting that the Turnberry leadership now understands the R&A’s position and the challenges that must be addressed. The Guardian reported that a government spokesperson had also approached the R&A in 2025, urging consideration of Turnberry for the 2028 Open. The R&A clarified that its venue decisions are independent of political influence, though it does maintain regular dialogue with national and local authorities about venue logistics. "We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the government, and they are aware of our position," an R&A spokesperson told Sky Sports.
Ticket demand for the Open continues to surge. Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, and the 2025 event at Royal Portrush set an attendance record with 278,000 spectators across four days—the highest figure for any Open outside St Andrews. Darbon summed up the R&A’s view: "We love the Turnberry course, but we have big logistical challenges. The scale of the setup required for a modern Open means we need to work on road, rail and accommodation infrastructure before we can consider a return." Meanwhile, the PGA Tour is shifting focus to Trump National Doral in Miami, where the inaugural Cadillac Championship—a Signature Event of the 2026 season—will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Golf fans can watch all four rounds of the Cadillac Championship from Thursday at 4 pm on Sky Sports Golf, or stream without a contract. In summary, while Turnberry remains a beloved links course with a storied Open history, the R&A’s current logistical and financial assessment keeps it out of the rotation for the foreseeable future. Royal Lytham & St Annes, with its rich heritage and proven infrastructure, will take centre stage in 2028, promising another memorable chapter in the championship’s illustrious saga.