Trump International Links relishing ‘milestone year' as more details on second championship course unveiled
Trump International Links is gearing up for the most significant few weeks in the course's history since it was opened by Donald Trump in 2012.
The Balmedie links will play host to back-to-back events this summer with the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship held from July 30 to August 3 taking place the week before a DP World Tour event, the Scottish Championship.
It will be the first time a DP World Tour event has been held at the Martin Hawtree-designed course.
If that is not enough to keep the greenkeepers busy at the Aberdeenshire venue, a second championship course will be officially opened this summer.
Colin Montgomerie was at Trump International Links on Wednesday as he prepared to once again act as host to the PGA Seniors Championship, the flagship event on the Legends Tour.
Sarah Malone, the executive vice president of Trump International, says it is an exciting period for the venue.
She said: 'This is a very significant, very special year for us. It is great honour for us to have Colin with us again.
'He has a great history with this site, having been here on the opening day in 2012 with the Trump family to open our magnificent links, so it is very fitting that he is the host of the Legends Tour event here for the second year.
'It is a milestone year for this asset in the north-east of Scotland. It has been a labour of love for the Trump family.
'It is held in the highest regard by the family and the organisation. We are immensely proud to be hosting the Legends Tour for the third year. It is a special event that has many components to it.
'It is very firmly established in the north-east as a must for spectators, for celebrity spotters. It is very much in people's diaries and it has attracted great sponsors.
'To add to that, we have the DP World Tour event. This is why this site was built. We said at the very outset that we wanted to host tournaments and so this year we are doing back-to-back tournaments and we will be announcing very soon the opening date of our new championship links course.
'Which is not the second golf course. It is equal in stature to the existing course, which I can confirm will be known as the Old Course and the New Course, something of a nod to tradition and to make it easy for our golfers to book.
'It is the beginning of a new era for us, having 36 holes is a big thing. It will ensure that golfers will not be too ready to leave the area, which is good news and gives us limitless options and possibilities for tournament and professional play.'
Ms Malone says the Trump family's commitment to the Aberdeenshire venue remains 'steadfast' and believes the addition of a second championship course will be a huge draw to golf tourists from around the world.
She added: 'This entire site, the nucleus for this was the Trump family's connection with the ancestral home of Mary Anne McLeod, the President's mother, and the great game of golf.
'It was a visionary project, always a multi-phase project. The Trump family has been steadfast in their commitment, irrespective of the backdrop with the economy or the markets.
'None of that has had impact on our vision to create a world-glass golf destination that hosts the biggest and best tournaments in the world.
'This year is a milestone for us. It's the completion of two magnificent golf courses. Maybe not quite tomorrow but I think we could possibly put a tournament out there as it is ready for play.
'We have gone to great lengths to ensure that it complements the existing links. That was the benchmark – what a benchmark.
'This is a big year for us and the family are very proud of what we have accomplished and I think it plays a very important part in the future of golf in Scotland.'
Montgomerie, an eight-time European Tour order of merit winner, is looking forward to playing host at the Legends Tour in a few weeks' time.
He said: 'I'm very honoured obviously to be associated with this event again. Any event you are associated with that is first-class, five-star is special and this is, the venue and everything about it.
'It was very easy to put my name to this again for a second year out of the three that have been here. I think it is superb, I really do.
'I might be a bit biased, but I thought it was a great success last year and let's hope this year we can build on that success and make it even better.
'This year we've got Sunningdale as our Senior Open venue followed by next week here.
'You can't really get any better than that. You would go a long way to beat that, I can assure you. You've got two weeks on the Legends Tour that is second to none.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Seth Meyers takes bitter swipe at Trump over his feud with Gavin Newsom
Seth Meyers took a brutal swipe at Donald Trump as he said the president has 'really lost his step' in his feud with Gavin Newsom. The talk show host used his Wednesday night monologue to lay into Trump's handling of the Los Angeles riots, saying he is fighting with Newsom because he 'misses' his breakup with Elon Musk. 'As humiliating as it must have been for Trump to be so publicly insulted in such a high profile spat with his biggest financial backer, a guy who dresses like Nosferatu is he was a Miami club promoter,' Meyers said. As he branded Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to the riots as 'illegal', Meyers said Trump has not been at his best when squaring off with the California governor. He pointed to Trump's threats to arrest Newsom on charges of 'running for governor because he's done such a bad job' as a lackluster insult for a president known for his insults. 'I gotta say, Trump's really lost this step. He can't even come up with a phony reason to arrest Newsom?' Meyers said. 'I mean, I could come up with a reason to arrest Newsom if I had to! 'If you could arrest someone for being bad at their job, the jails would be filled with former head coaches of the New York Jets.' Meyers said that the 'fashion police' could put Newsom in cuffs 'for riding a skateboard in a suit.' 'Come on dude, you look like the CEO of a tech startup that goes bust in six months,' he quipped. The comedian and frequent Trump critic then turned his monologue on the White House 'Border Czar' Tom Homan, as he played a clip of Homan saying his remarks about arresting Newsom were 'taken out of context.' Homan said that he never pushed to arrest the governor, but clarified that 'if' he broke the law then he would do so. Meyers responded to the clip: 'Was your message unclear because it was taken out of context, or because you sound like you have a mouthful of hot peanuts?' 'But this is not an idle threat,' he added. 'The Trump regime has already arrested or indicted a sitting member of Congress, a judge, a mayor, a prominent union leader - and now Trump's threatening to crack down on anyone who disrupts his special military birthday parade.' As he showed clips of Trump vowing to meet any protesters with 'heavy force', Meyers added: 'Wow, the guy really knows how to sell a parade, sounds like a fun time.' The jokes about Trump's military parade, which Meyers said is 'ridiculous', came before forecasters warned the entire event may have to be called off as a severe thunderstorm threatens to hit Washington DC at the weekend. The host concluded his barbs aimed at Trump by showing a clip of Gavin Newsom's warning earlier in the week that 'Democracy is under assault' and that the 'Founding Fathers didn't live and die to see this kind of moment.' 'I'm no history expert, but that seems like a pretty fair assessment to me,' Meyers said. 'If the Founding Fathers saw masked agents abducting people off the streets and a president sending federal troops to an American city, their wooden teeth would have fallen out of their heads.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The best and worst dressed stars at Les Misérables' opening night... from Melania Trump to Usha Vance
A slew of famous faces and political figures descended upon the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday evening for the opening night of Les Misérables. The star-studded guest list certainly did not disappoint, with President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and his spouse, Usha Vance, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his partner, Cheryl Hines, all gathering to watch the iconic musical. Many of them did not disappoint with their looks, turning heads on the red carpet with glamorous dresses or handsome tuxedos. Some, however, completely missed the mark with their ensembles, arriving in eyebrow-raising outfits. From bizarre feathers to frumpy frocks, the event was filled with both fashion wins and sartorial nightmares. Donald, 78, kept it classy as he opted for a simple, black tuxedo as he arrived holding hands with Melania. The First Lady, 55, for her part, donned a $3,900 black Bottega Veneta dress that contained a conservative neckline and gold embellishments on her hip and shoulders. She exuded elegance and glamour in the chic gown, which she paired with silver and bronze striped Christian Louboutin heels, which usually sell for around $1,000. Vice President JD Vance also wore a tuxedo but in a navy blue. As for his wife, Usha Vance, she opted for a $635 Shoshanna strapless dark blue gown that contained a white stripe that went around her midriff area and down the skirt. Toned-down yet stylish, the two's coordinating colors complimented one another Fashion designer Pamella Roland DeVos and her businessman husband Daniel DeVos were also in attendance. She donned a fiery red gown that contained dramatic shoulder embellishments and had long pieces of fabric that hung to the ground. Daniel, on the other hand, kept it simple in a black suit Donald's Vice President JD, 40, matched Donald as he also wore a tuxedo but in navy blue. As for his wife, she opted for a $635 Shoshanna strapless dark blue gown that contained a white stripe that went around her midriff area and down the skirt. Toned-down yet stylish, the two's coordinating colors complimented one another. Health Secretary Robert, 71, wore a similar blue tuxedo, however, his white button-down shirt underneath contained piercing black stripes. Actress Cheryl, 59, donned a $298 Mac Duggal black midi dress. The strapless number contained an eye-popping feathered fringe at the bottom of the skirt. Fashion designer Pamella Roland DeVos and her businessman husband Daniel DeVos were also in attendance. She arrived in a fiery red gown that contained dramatic shoulder embellishments and had long pieces of fabric that hung to the ground. Daniel, on the other hand, kept it effortless in a black suit. Donald and Melania's appearance at the play brought some controversy with it, as it was reported that some of the play's cast members were boycotting. When asked about it outside the event, Donald stated defiantly, 'I couldn't care less. Honestly, I couldn't. All I do is run the country well.' When the Trumps entered the theater, there were cheers and applause and a USA chant - and also some boos. It comes after Donald announced that he would be firing the board of the Kennedy Center - named for the late Democratic president - and naming himself chairman.
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
Colin Montgomerie tells US Open Oakmont whingers to 'get on with it' as they have an advantage he couldn't dream of
Monty was bitten by The Beast at the 1994 US Open but isn't having complaints about difficult from the likes of Bryson DeChambeau Colin Montgomerie suffered heartache when he was bitten by The Beast at the 1994 US Open at Oakmont. Monty lost out to Ernie Els in a three-man play-off also featuring Loren Roberts at the Pittsburgh venue with the fearsome reputation. The set-up for this week's third major of the season has had several of the world's leading players bleating about it being an even tougher test than it was 31 years ago. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau has gone as far as to claim: 'This venue doesn't challenge your game, it challenges your sanity.' But Ryder Cup legend Monty has told them to man up and get on with it after expressing disappointment that the USGA has taken some of the sting out of the rough. Monty, who was at Trump International, Aberdeen in his role as host of the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, pointed to the advances in technology as a leveller that makes Oakmont a fair test of golf. He said: 'I was disappointed when I learned that the USGA had cut the rough a wee bit because it was deemed too severe. 'Hang on, compare the advances in technology opposed to 30 years ago when the ball we were playing moved all over the place, was softer and went 20 yards shorter. 'Also, consider the development of golf clubs. It has been beyond anything we ever dreamed of. 'So use it and play golf, definitely. Man up and get on with it 'At this level, you shouldn't be missing fairways unless it's blowing a gale. 'When I did alright there in '94, Christ it was the US Open of old. The width of the fairways averaged 25 or 27 yards. Now they are 35. 'You can't miss them and I think that's great. I hate seeing people hitting it long but sideways and getting away with it, when someone just misses the fairway and has a worse lie than someone who misses by 40 yards. 'I think they've found that they can't lengthen these courses any more, so what they've got is a par 70 playing 7,300 yards, which isn't long. But, equally, if you don't hit the fairway, you won't be in the right spot, so it's going back to the US Open in the 90s. 'And that's why I had some success in the US Open because I hit the fairway. 'That's part of the game. It's not a putting competition. It's actually a full game from tee to green and I think they have set it up well. 'It's very difficult nowadays for the USGA, The R&A or the PGA of America to set up a course for these guys. You saw Muirfield Village recently when they were hitting over bunkers that weren't designed for that happening 'But I think you'll find this week that it's back to US Open scoring. I don't know if anyone will get to 10-under-par - the magic figure we used to have in mind. 'Under par was always good in the US Open as you knew you had played some good golf and done well.' The spotlight will once again be on Rory McIlroy - for reasons the world No 2 would rather were not in play. McIlroy has struggled to find his A game since getting the Masters monkey off his back two months ago. But Monty isn't' in the least surprised that McIlroy has suffered a form slump in the wake of his Augusta triumph. He added: 'A lot of people thought the floodgates would just open and Rory would relax and win as many majors as he wanted because he has the talent to do so. 'But I could foresee this happening. The Masters took a hell of a lot out of him. You saw that on the 18th green and he hasn't quite got back into the tournament set up yet. 'After 14 years of struggles and finishing second and other hiccups along the way, it was more relief than excitement when he won. 'But he has got to get it together again soon and he has talked about his driving having to be much improved. Let's hope so because majors are better with him contending.' Meanwhile, Monty has hailed Trump International as one of the jewels in Britain's golfing crown. 'This year we've got Sunningdale as our Senior Open venue followed by here, two weeks on the Legends Tour that are second to none,' he declared.
