No betting complacency in golf – R&A’s Martin Slumbers

For a moment he sounds like US president Barack Obama – which brings us neatly to the R&A’s relationship with the man who wants to be Obama’s successor in the White House.

Donald Trump owns Turnberry which last hosted the Open in 2009. The US presidential candidate is pouring £200m into the project but is nowhere near as politically correct as golf is trying to be at the moment.

Following the outrage sparked by the presidential candidate’s comments on Mexicans and Muslims, can golf do business with him?

“The important thing for us is to focus on what is the right thing for golf,” Slumbers said. “Politics is something that we should not comment on and we should not stray into.

“My belief is that golf should be open to all, regardless of gender, race, nationality or religion. I think that’s a strength of this game.”

But is that at odds with taking The Open to a Trump-owned Turnberry? Slumbers dodged the question by stating the championship could not go to the Ayrshire course until 2022 at the earliest.

“That’s something we don’t have to consider for a couple of years yet,” he said. “The world may change quite a lot in the next six years and we will consider it at that point.”

Slumbers is clearly not afraid of change, as he indicated with his response to the European Tour last week relaxing its dress rules, allowing players to wear shorts in practice.

This move couldn’t happen at this year’s Open because the conditions of entry have already been set, but might occur at a later date.

“I don’t think golf should be frightened of making sure it is modern and relevant,” Slumbers said. “The climatic conditions of the Middle East were slightly different to Scotland in July.

“I think it would be wrong in the tournament itself. The real balance is preserving the integrity, the history of the game but also staying modern and relevant.

“So I think it is something we will keep talking about, maybe for practice days for the future.”

That such an issue could be considered in the famous old R&A clubhouse offers further evidence of a modernising shift that, dare I say it, is worth betting will accompany Slumbers’ tenure at St Andrews.