‘It’s a shame’: LPGA star argues Trump course should host the Open again

Two-time LPGA winner Charley Hull has become something of a cult hero in 2024, thanks mostly to her habit of smoking cigarettes during tournaments, a habit she says she started to quit vaping (and one she was not allowed to partake in at the Olympics). This week Hull also revealed she’s not afraid to state a strong golf opinion, even if it means wading into controversial territory.

Speaking of the Olympics, Hull represented England at the Paris Games, but a freak injury she suffered when she fell getting out of a shower last month was still impacting her game, and it helped lead to an opening-round 81 at Le Golf National.

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She recovered well, though, and finished T27. Her solid play in the final three rounds carried over into this week’s ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open, where she’s two off the lead heading into Round 3.

After the Olympics, Hull traveled to Scotland before this week’s tournament to get some practice in and help prepare for next week’s AIG Women’s British Open. The practice location? Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa Course, a former famed Open Championship venue.

The Ailsa Course hosted four Opens, including the famous “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977, and most recently in 2009, where Watson nearly won at the age of 59. It also played host to the 2002 Women’s British Open.

But why is it a former Open venue? Donald Trump purchased the Turnberry hotel and golf courses in 2014, quickly rebranding them Trump Turnberry.

But in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6th, 2021, the R&A announced that as long as it maintained ties to the Trump Organization, Turnberry would no longer be part of the Open Championship rotation.

Fast-forward to this week, and the topic of Trump Turnberry’s R&A ban arose in Hull’s pre-tournament press conference at the Scottish Open.

Hull took the sensitive topic head on, calling Turnberry’s absence from the Open rota a “shame.”

“I thought [Trump Turnberry] was a great golf course. Great fun,” Hull said of her experience at the famed links. “I love being out on the golf course, and the views on that golf course is brilliant. It was so much fun. I played it on Monday.”

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When asked directly if it should return to the Open rotation, she was direct.

“A hundred percent,” Hull replied, “I think it’s a shame. It is a really top track.”

And when a reporter followed up asking Hull if Turnberry should host the Women’s British Open again, she had a similar reply: “A hundred percent.”

“Like honestly, it’s one of the best golf courses in the world,” Hull continued. “It would be a shame to not be on there.”

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But despite having expressed her love for Trump Turnberry and admitting that the tournament she wants to win most is the linksy Women’s British Open, Hull revealed that she’s not actually that big of a links-golf fan. American-style parkland golf is her favorite.

“I didn’t play much links golf when I was growing up. I did it at the British Amateur and stuff, but apart from that, I just love parkland.”

The Women’s Scottish Open comes to an end this Sunday, and then Hull and the rest of the LPGA’s best will head to the greatest links course of them all, the Old Course at St. Andrews, for the Women’s British Open.