Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club will host The 156th Open Championship in 2028, marking the tournament's return to the venue for the first time since 2012. The announcement confirms that Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf Club will not host The Open in the foreseeable future due to unresolved logistical issues. This year's Open takes place at Royal Birkdale, followed by St Andrews in 2027. Turnberry, which has previously hosted The Open four times, remains excluded despite long-standing efforts to re-enter the rotation. Muirfield, another Scottish course, is also left out of the immediate plans, with no Open scheduled there until at least 2031. The club lifted its ban on female members in 2017 after a 2016 ultimatum from former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, who stated The Open would not return until the policy changed. Despite Rory McIlroy's public appeal for Muirfield's reinstatement, the Renaissance Club will host the Genesis Scottish Open through 2030, delaying any potential return. Royal Lytham, which has hosted The Open 12 times since 1926, will stage the event from August 3 to August 6, 2028. Past champions at the course include Bobby Jones, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros and Ernie Els, who won the Claret Jug there in 2012. Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A, described Royal Lytham as one of golf's most cherished and historic venues.
The exclusion of both Turnberry and Muirfield underscores how off-course issues continue to shape The Open's venue choices as much as course quality. While Royal Lytham's return highlights tradition, the prolonged absence of two elite courses reflects a broader recalibration of values within golf's governing bodies. No Nigerian or African player was mentioned in connection with the event.
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