Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley—whose Euro team trounced the USA at Gleneagles in 2014—when asked about the Trump Turnberry Resort controversy said, “If the R&A decide to have an Open Championship there I would be very comfortable playing—if I qualify.”
Breitbart News reported on Monday that the R&A pulled the Trump Turnberry Resort in Scotland from the Open rotation because of controversial statements the businessman made regarding Muslims, Mexicans, and others.
McGinley expressed to the BBC that it would be a shame if the R&A removes the gorgeous Turnberry Resort in Scotland as a venue: “We’ve got great history there going back to ’77 with Nicklaus and Watson, and obviously Watson nearly winning a few years ago at the age of 60.”
The Irish golfer added, ”Unfortunately it’s part of the modern world we live in now that sport and politics are very much blended in a lot of decision making…. What would be a real shame is if Turnberry doesn’t happen to be on The Open rota because it’s a terrific golf course.”
PGA Chief executive Sandy Jones insists the billionaire real estate and entertainment mogul’s political controversies are bad for golf. “Sadly his political campaign in America seems to be getting in the way of all the great things golf offers,” Jones opined.
“Donald has built some great golf courses and has two in Scotland, in Aberdeen and at Turnberry,” he recognized. “I’d prefer to see less controversy around the game and sadly Donald is producing it through his political motive, not through his golfing ones. They are bound to be linked, there is no getting away from that.”