Eric Trump has declared that his father, US President Donald Trump, "deserves" to see The Open Championship return to the family's Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire.
Speaking to the BBC, the 41-year-old executive who manages golf courses within his father's property empire suggested that political considerations have prevented the prestigious tournament from returning to the venue.
"I think the elephant in the room was, frankly, politics, for a very long time," Eric Trump stated during an exclusive interview.
The championship hasn't been held at Turnberry since 2009, which was five years before the Trump Organisation acquired the Scottish resort.
Eric Trump believes his father, Donald, deserves to see The Open return to his golf course at Turnberry
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Eric Trump emphasised his father's contributions to golf, stating: "There's no-one that's been better for the game of golf. He's been a cheerleader his entire life, because he loves it and he believes in it."
The R&A recently identified significant infrastructure challenges at Turnberry, with chief executive Mark Darbon citing concerns about roads, railways and accommodation capacity.
Eric Trump firmly rejected these assessments, maintaining that "the actual infrastructure, the actual plant, the physical location is really second to none, anywhere."
"You could host the Open Championship on that course tomorrow," he insisted. "It's impeccable, and Turnberry is ready for it."
Despite his confidence about the venue's readiness, Eric Trump acknowledged that his father's political career might need to conclude before the tournament returns.
"I think chances are by the time an Open comes back around, his time in government will be gone and we'll be back to being a strictly commercial company," he said.
President Trump's second term is scheduled to end in early 2029, whilst host venues for The Open from 2028 onwards remain unconfirmed.
Eric Trump revealed he met with R&A representatives at St Andrews earlier this year to discuss The Open's potential return to Turnberry.
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Donald Trump opened a new golf course on the Menie Estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire
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He expressed optimism about changing attitudes, saying: "I think the calculus today is a bit different but no, the political side never came up but I think what the R&A wants is the greatest courses, they're focused on quality."
The meeting occurred against a backdrop of renewed dialogue, with Darbon confirming that UK government officials have engaged with the R&A regarding Turnberry's prospects.
During President Trump's Scottish visit this week, he hosted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the course, which he described as "the best resort in the world."
When questioned about The Open at Monday's joint press conference, Starmer responded: "The decision on The Open is not a decision for me."
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Eric Trump manages golf courses within his father's property empire
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Eric Trump expressed confidence that Turnberry would eventually secure The Open based on its merits, declaring: "Turnberry will win the Open Championship at the right time, based on the merits of it being the greatest golf course on earth, that's what's going to win the day."
These comments came as Eric accompanied his father to inaugurate a new 18-hole course at their Aberdeenshire resort near Balmedie on Tuesday.
The Scottish government has allocated £180,000 in public funding to support the DP World Tour's Nexo Championship at the venue next month.
"It's probably the last links course that will ever be built in the UK, and I truly think we have the best 36 holes anywhere in the world," Eric Trump claimed.