Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club has been passed over for the next Open Championship, with Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club officially named the host for the 156th Open in 2028. The 2024 edition of the tournament will be staged at Royal Birkdale, and the historic links at St Andrews are set to welcome the championship again in 2027.
Turnberry, which has long campaigned for a place on the Open rota, will not see the Claret Jug return to its fairways in the near future. The R&A cited a series of logistical hurdles that must be resolved before the course could be considered viable for the event. "The challenge at Turnberry is a logistical challenge," said Mark Darbon, chief executive of the R&A, in an interview with Sky Sports.
"You see the scale of a modern Open – the road, rail and accommodation network around that venue is challenging to deliver what we now deliver. We have a good dialogue with the venue, we're open‑minded, we'll maintain that dialogue and see where we get." Muirfield, another storied Scottish club, was also omitted from the R&A's short‑term plans. The course last hosted the Open in 2013, when Phil Mickelson claimed victory.
Former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers explained in 2016 that Muirfield would not be invited back until it lifted its ban on female members. Although the club voted in 2017 to admit women, it still has not secured a spot on the rotation, even after Rory McIlroy publicly urged the governing body to reconsider. A realistic return for Muirfield is unlikely before 2031, especially now that the neighboring Renaissance Club will hold the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030. Royal Lytham & St Annes will host the 2028 Open from August 3‑6, marking its first appearance since 2012, when Ernie Els lifted the Claret Jug for the second time.
The links have a rich roll of champions that includes Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, Sir Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Lehman and David Duval. Darbon praised the venue, noting, "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 was first played there in 1926 when the legendary Bobby Jones won. This is one of golf's most cherished and historic venues and The Open's return to these famous links will spark huge interest among fans to be part of one of the world's great sporting events and celebrate the rich traditions of golf's original Championship." Tim Walker, chairman of the council at Royal Lytham, 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 and audiences from across the globe, to our links on England's golf coast." The R&A is moving the Open back to August in 2028 to avoid a clash 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 & St Annes will also stage the AIG Women's Open from July 29‑August 2, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Donald Trump, who purchased Turnberry in April 2014, has long hoped the course would re‑enter the Open rotation. Reports indicate he has appealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to have the south‑Ayrshire venue selected. Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has previously hosted the Open four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink emerged victorious. That tournament attracted roughly 120,000 spectators over four days.
Despite its reputation as one of the premier courses in the British Isles, the R&A believes Turnberry presents significant logistical and financial challenges due to its remote coastal location. In a 2021 statement the organisation warned that the focus of an Open at Turnberry might shift from the sport to political headlines surrounding the U.S. president. The same year, the PGA of America withdrew Trump National Golf Club Bedminster’s right to host the 2022 PGA Championship, underscoring the broader concerns about high‑profile venues linked to political figures.
An R&A spokesperson later clarified, "We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so 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 in the current circumstances." In 2025, Eric Trump met with R&A officials to discuss the venue.
While the talks were described as "largely positive," the core issue of logistics remained. Darbon said he would "love" to see the Open return to Turnberry, but reiterated that without substantial improvements to road, rail and accommodation infrastructure, a comeback is unlikely.
He recalled, "I met a couple of months ago with Eric Trump and some of the leadership from the Trump golf organisation from Turnberry. We had a really good discussion. I think they understand clearly where we are coming from.
We talked through some of the challenges that we have, so we have a good dialogue with them." The Guardian reported that a government spokesperson had also reached out to the R&A in 2025, urging the body to consider Turnberry for 2028. The R&A maintained its independence, stating, "We regularly engage with government and local government regarding venues. We have explained the logistical challenges around Turnberry to the government, and they are aware of the position." Ticket demand for upcoming Opens continues to surge.
Over one million applications were received for the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale, while the 2025 event at Royal Portrush set an attendance record with 278,000 visitors across four days—the highest for any Open outside St Andrews. Despite the setbacks for Turnberry, the PGA Tour will head to Trump National Doral in Miami later this week for the inaugural Cadillac Championship, the fourth Signature Event of the 2026 season, with live coverage on Sky Sports. Golf fans can watch all four rounds of the Cadillac Championship from the Miami course, starting Thursday at 4 pm on Sky Sports Golf, or stream without a contract. Overall, the decision to award the 2028 Open to Royal Lytham underscores the R&A’s priority on venues that can comfortably accommodate the massive logistical demands of modern major championships while preserving the historic integrity of the tournament.
Turnberry remains a beloved course, but until the infrastructure gaps are bridged and the focus can stay squarely on the sport, it will stay off the Open rota for the foreseeable future.