McGinley sad to see Turnberry robbed of its spotlight

Paul McGinley believes The Open, and golf as a whole, will be “poorer without Turnberry” after R&A Chief Martin Slumbers confirmed that the venue is not under consideration to host any championships in the immediate future.

An attempted coup on the US Capitol incited by outgoing US President Donald Trump looks likely to be the final straw for many Trump supporters, even friends in golf who have long stood by his politics. Following the PGA of America’s decision to strip Trump’s course at Bedminster of its PGA Championship hosting duties in 2022, R&A Chief Slumbers declared on Monday that, “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.”

Writing in his Sky Sports column, former Ryder Cup winning Captain McGinley admitted that the move by the R&A to distance itself from Trump was understandable but he also expressed his own disappointment that his favourite course in The Open rotation was being punished because of Trump’s name over the door.