Bryson DeChambeau says he is all for the Turnberry course in Scotland — owned by President Donald Trump — hosting an Open Championship for the first time since 2009.
“I look at it as a golf course,” DeChambeau said Friday after shooting a 7-under 65 in the second round of The Open at Royal Portrush. “It’s one of the best golf courses in the world, and I’d love for it to be a part of the rotation.
“Albeit I haven’t played it, I’ve heard so many great things about it, and any time you get to play a special historical golf course like that, I think it’s worthy of it, for sure.”
Turnberry is on the R&A’s 10-venue Open rotation but isn’t playing an active role. It last hosted the major 16 years ago — before Trump bought the resort — when a then-59-year-old Tom Watson made bogey on the 72nd hole and wound up losing a playoff to Stewart Cink.
Speaking ahead of this week’s Open, R&A CEO Mark Darbon said transportation and other issues had to be addressed before Turnberry could host the oldest major championship again. Darbon said the R&A met with Eric Trump and other leaders of Trump Golf a few months ago regarding the “big logistical challenges” facing Turnberry and that the talks had been constructive.
Former R&A CEO Martin Slumbers had previously said Turnberry would not be used until the organization was comfortable the focus would be on the golf and not the owner.
The next unannounced site for The Open is in 2028.
DeChambeau said he believed Trump would make Turnberry a special Open venue.
“He’d still probably respect the R&A and what they’re trying to accomplish,” DeChambeau said. “I can’t speak on his behalf, but what I can say is, knowing him, he’ll do his best of a job as he possibly can.”
DeChambeau’s relationship with Trump is such that he joined him on stage at an election party in Florida in November before Trump won the presidency again. DeChambeau also played a round of golf with Trump and did some short-game practice on the South Lawn of the White House a few months ago.
Around this time last year, DeChambeau and Trump attempted to break 50 off the forward tees at the president’s Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey using a scramble format.
“Got like 15 million views [on YouTube] or something,” DeChambeau said. “It was fun.”
Turnberry has hosted the Open Championship four times, first in 1977 with the famous “Duel in the Sun” when Watson beat Jack Nicklaus for his second of five Open titles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
