Open looking to return to Turnberry in 2009

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club is leaning toward bringing the Open Championship back to Turnberry for 2009, but first it wants to see some dirt.

The Open has become too big for the small road into Turnberry, which is located about 25 miles south of Royal Troon on the southwest Scottish coast. It has not held the championship since Nick Price won in 1994.

Town officials have pledged to build a short loop that would provide two routes to the course. Construction is to begin this fall, and the R&A next meets in September.

"Once the road is built, then the championship committee will take a view whether to take the Open to Turnberry in 2009," said David Hill, the R&A's director of championships. "It's planned, but we'd like to see construction work."

St. Andrews has not been announced for 2010, but that's only a matter of time. The Open has nine links courses on its rotation, and Chief Executive Peter Dawson said the R&A prefers to take it to each links every 10 years, twice every 10 years at St. Andrews.

"I think the world of golf likes to come to St. Andrews with reasonable frequency," he said.

There's one other reason to return to St. Andrews in 2010: That will be the 150th anniversary of the Open Championship.

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