R&A to Announce 2028 Open Championship Venue Within a Year
The R&A expects to reveal the host venue for the 2028 Open Championship sometime in the next 12 months, with several intriguing options on the table.
Mark Darbon, who took over as R&A CEO late last year, addressed questions about three high-profile courses during his first State of the R&A press conference at Royal Portrush. But it was Turnberry that dominated the conversation.
Turnberry, widely regarded as possibly the best course in the Open rota, hasn’t hosted the championship since 2009. The course underwent significant renovation after President Donald Trump purchased the property.
While Darbon’s predecessor Martin Slumbers had concerns about bringing the Open to Turnberry due to potential distractions from the competition itself, Darbon emphasized more practical challenges.
“We love the golf course, but we’ve got some big logistical challenges there,” Darbon said. “You see the scale of the setup here, and we’ve got some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry.”
“We’ve explicitly not taken it out of our pool of venues, but we’d need to address those logistical challenges should we return.”
When pressed specifically about Trump’s ownership impact, Darbon revealed he met with Eric Trump and other organizational leaders a few months ago to discuss remaining challenges.
“It’s a somewhat hypothetical question in that unless we address the logistical challenges, it’s difficult for us to go back,” he said.
Muirfield, which last hosted in 2013, is another potential venue. The R&A continues working with the club on issues related to staging a modern Open, including practice grounds and production cabling. Darbon mentioned he’s “open minded to solutions,” such as potentially using the neighboring Renaissance Club’s practice area.
“It’s a good dialogue,” he said, “and we’d love to be back there in the future.”
With Royal Portrush hosting its second Open in six years after a 68-year absence, the R&A is also seriously exploring taking the championship outside the United Kingdom for the first time, with Portmarnock in Ireland under consideration.
The timing of the 2028 Open also remains up in the air, with the Los Angeles Olympics in mid-July complicating the schedule. Darbon expects to announce dates in the next few months.
