The Open: Golf chief confirms meeting with Donald Trump's son

The chief executive of the R&A has confirmed officials from the governing body met with Donald Trump's son Eric to discuss golf's oldest major returning to Turnberry. 

Turnberry hasn't staged The Open since 2009, five years before the US president purchased the resort.

It was taken off the rota in 2021 amid the US riots. 

Trump National in Bedminster was also stripped of the PGA Championship after his supporters stormed the Capitol on 6 January.  

And the R&A previously stated the major would not return to the course until they were satisfied the focus would be on the golf and not its controversial owner. 

It was reported in April by the BBC that the UK government held conversations with the R&A to explore the possibility of The Open heading back to Turnberry in 2028. 

The Open will head to Royal Birkdale in 12 months time and St Andrews will stage the tournament again in 2027. 

"We love the golf course," said R&A chief executive Mark Darbon of Turnberry. 

Darbon said the R&A will announce the venue for the 2028 Open 'sometime before the middle of next year'. 

"We've not taken it out of our pool of venues, but we have some big logistical issues there," he continued. 

"You've seen the scale of the set-up here [Royal Portrush] and there's some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry."

Darbon said there is an ongoing dialogue with the UK government given the scale of the championship. 

"We create huge economic impact in the regions in which we stage the championship and this week we'll be generating more than £210m," he said. 

"I think, as they made clear recently, while we have discussed Turnberry with them, they've been explicit the choices of venues rest with the R&A."

Pressed on whether he sees Trump's ownership as an issue, Darbon said: "It's a somewhat hypothetical question.

"Unless we address the logistical challenges, it's difficult for us to go back. 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."

Will The Open return to Muirfield?

Muirfield hasn't staged The Open since Phil Mickelson triumphed in 2013.

It was removed from the rota in 2016 because the club refused to admit women as members. 

The R&A said gender-excluding policies were not acceptable. A second vote was held in 2017 and the result was different. 

Darbon said talks are being held with Muirfield but, like Turnberry, there are some issues to address.

"We're in a discussion with the venue right now," he said. "There's some things that we need to evolve at Muirfield.

"The practice ground in particular is a challenge for us with a modern Open and there’s some work we need to do with the venue to facilitate some of the infrastructure that we require, some cabling to enable the scale of the production that we have these days.

"But it's a good dialogue and we'd love to be back there in the future."