By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
The golf tournament will be staged at one of Donald Trump’s Scottish courses later in 2025.
One of US President Donald Trump’s two top-class Scottish golf courses is set to stage a DP World Tour event for the first time later this year.
But, as Trump Turnberry
waits patiently for its first Open since 2009, it is Trump
International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire that will be in the spotlight
this summer.
As had initially been hinted last month, the DP World Tour will be
staging an event - The Scottish Championship - there on August 7-10.
The tournament, which previously featured on the circuit in 2020 during
the Covid pandemic, will carry a $2.75 million prize fund.
Trump International Golf Links north of Aberdeen is set to stage a DP World Tour event for the first time this summer | Jacob Sjöman
It
won’t feature the likes of Masters champion Rory McIlroy or Scottish No
1 Bob MacIntyre due to the fact it is up against the $20 million FedEx
St Jude Championship - the opening event in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup
Play-Offs.
However,
it will be an exciting opportunity for other Scottish players like Ewen
Ferguson, Calum Hill, Grant Forrest, Connor Syme, Richie Ramsay and
Scott Jamieson to land a DP World Tour triumph on home soil.
Ryder Cup counting event
It
could also be a chance for someone in contention for a Ryder Cup pick
to catch European captain Luke Donald’s eye heading into the final
qualifying event - the Betfred British Masters - just a fortnight later.
Guy
Kinnings, CEO of the DP World Tour, said: “Trump International Golf
Links Scotland has already earned a reputation as one of the best modern
links courses in the UK and it promises to be an excellent venue for
the return of the Scottish Championship to our schedule.”
It
will be the first time the tour has visited Trump International Golf
Links, which hosted the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship in both 2023
and 2024 and will do so again from 30 July-3 August 3, the week prior to
the Scottish Championship.
That
means there will be back-to-back tournaments on the highly-accalaimed
Martin Hawtree-designed course, which was opened by Trump himself in
2012.
“We
are honoured to host the Scottish Championship on the DP World Tour at
our iconic property,” said Eric Trump, Executive Vice President of The
Trump Organisation.
“2025
is an incredible year for Trump International, Scotland, as we proudly
welcome two world-class tournaments and celebrate the highly anticipated
grand opening of our new championship links course.
‘Significant milestone’ for Donald Trump
“This
significant milestone reflects the hard work of our team and is a true
testament to the exceptional golf and hospitality we deliver in
Scotland.”
It was reported last week that Trump had reportedly made repeated requests to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for The Open to be held at Turnberry in 2028 - the next available slot.
That
led to the Prime Minister’s official spokesman insisting that it was
down to “sporting bodies to make decisions on tournament venues, not the
Government”.
The
report came on the back of Mark Darbon, The R&A’s new chief
executive, admitting a fortnight ago that he would “love to see” The
Open back at the Ayrshire venue but, at the same time, highlighting that
there were both “logistical and commercial challenges” to be overcome.
Spaniard Adrian Otaegui landed the title five years ago in The Scottish Championship, which was played at Fairmont St Andrews.
