Gary Player makes Turnberry demand despite the Open's stance on Trump's course

28 July 2023 , 08:08

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Three-time Open champion Gary Player (Image: Getty Images)

Golf legend Gary Player believes that Turnberry "deserves" to be back on The Open Championship rota having not hosted the tournament since 2009.

The 87-year-old three-time Open champion has urged for the competition to return to the Ayrshire golf course, 14 years on from the last time it was played at Turnberry.

However, it will not be back at the famous course until Donald Trump no longer has any affiliation with it, according to The Telegraph. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrew's said that Trump's link with Turnberry golf resort "is still perceived as a serious security risk due to potential protests".

But Player tweeted: "With all the golf I've played in my life, it is not often that I stop to snap a photo on a green. But Turnberry is incredibly special and is a close second to Pine Valley in my top two courses on the planet. No doubt Turnberry deserves to be back on The Open’s Rota. It’s an absolute paradise of links golf with a storied history."

The Turnberry golf course has hosted The Open Championship four times, most recently in 2009 when Stewart Cink defeated Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff to claim the claret jug.

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As for the most recent Open, which was hosted at Royal Liverpool, Brian Harman beat competition from the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day to be crowned champion.

Speaking afterwards, he said: "After I made the second bogey yesterday, a guy, when I was passing him, he said, 'Harman, you don't have the stones for this'." Gleefully smiling alongside the Claret Jug, Harman then added: "That helped...

Brian Harman kisses the Claret Jug

"Yeah, that helped a lot. that helped. Anyway, it helped snap me back into I'm good enough to do this. I'm going to do this. I'm going to go through my process, and the next shot is going to be good." Keen not to give any more credit to the heckler in question, he went on: "You know, I'm not going to give any more. I shouldn't have given him credit right there."

Harman's hecklers' comments came after a small number of boos were also heard after he was announced onto the first tee for Sunday's final round. Once again though, the poor welcoming only added fuel to Harman's quest to become Open champion.

Kieran King