The Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open won’t be played at a Trump property for the foreseeable future, the tournament’s chief sponsor stressed yesterday.
AAM chief Martin Gilbert made it clear that Trump’s links course at the Menie Estate near Aberdeen was not an option for the $7 million Scottish in 2019, the next available date when it is expected to return to the North East after a four year gap.
There’s nothing decided for certain yet, but Gilbert, speaking at this year’s championship at Dundonald Links, indicated Cruden Bay – a tight and spectacular traditional links 25 miles north of Aberdeen that has never hosted a top professional event – could be the frontrunner for a venue in the North East ahead of even Royal Aberdeen, the host course in 2014.
Gilbert admires the Menie course – “there’s one thing we can agree on that (Trump) builds great courses” – but there are “big issues” relating to the current President of the United States.
“Look, I don’t agree with anything he says,” said Gilbert. “Politics aside, the Trump course would be an ideal venue but you simply can’t put politics aside.
“If we did go there, the worst thing would be if he came. There’s been no decision made yet but there are clear issues, shall we say.
“We’d love to go back to the North East of Scotland at some point and we’ve looked at a number of options. We and the Tour have had a look at Cruden Bay, Royal Aberdeen has the issue of being an all-male club and we have a condition not to go to single sex clubs.
“We’re not going to make a decision on any future venues for about a year. We’re determined to get through this event this week, the Ladies here as well in two weeks and then plan for Gullane next year.”
The Scottish Open is now tied in with the Scottish Ladies Open, where AAM have quadrupled the prizefund to £1.2 million. Any venue has to be able to host both events in a three-week window and the present five Open courses in Scotland are out of bounds.
Existing venues Castle Stuart and Gullane will be used, while Kingbarns Links in Fife has been examined but the cost required to secure that venue for three weeks in July is regarded as too prohibitive.
“They have the Dunhill every year so they can’t afford another three weeks out of their season,” said Gilbert. “Kingsbarns would be fabulous for TV, bearing in mind that VisitScotland want the pictures beamed round the world on NBC and everywhere we go the visitor numbers go through the roof.”
The similarly spectacular scenery at Cruden Bay would work in that respect, and for Gilbert those TV pictures are the key for him as the sponsor – much more than the crowds, which barely topped 10,000 on Thursday.
“For us it is all about TV,” he said. “For the European Tour it is all about how many tickets they sell but I don’t care how many tickets they sell. We want the top players and TV for our name to be out there in the US and Japan, which are big markets for us.”