The venue for the 2028 Open Championship is expected to be announced next week. However, Turnberry and Muirfield are not among the favorites, according to The Telegraph Sport.

According to reporter James Corrigan, "Royal Lytham and St Annes is the new favourite to host its first Open since 2012, with an announcement expected next week."

Both courses were frontrunners to host events. The R&A wants to work with Turnberry but will not do so while President Trump is still in office, according to the Telegraph. At the same time, pros like Rory McIlroy have advocated for the return of Muirfield, but the reason to look at Lytham might be completely different. That's because the R&A has clear requirements.

“We need a venue that is appropriate from both a logistical and commercial perspective,”  said Mark Darbon, the R&A chief executive, to Telegraph Sport last year.

The R&A had laid out guidelines for improvement to Muirfield. It was asked to improve its practice facilities and expand the spectator areas to increase capacity.

Similarly, Turnberry lacks on both fronts - logistically and commercially. Situated remotely, with a poor transportation network, Turnberry does not fit the Open’s code. It also has a big limit to its accommodation capabilities.

If Lytham Is Made the Host, It Will Be Their 12th Open

“Royal Lytham is a fantastic course and, in terms of infrastructure, is right up there. We get around 200,000 spectators in the week but it’s a squeeze and the TV compound is five acres of land. That’s where Lytham gets a bit tight but it can be done," said former R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers, back in February 2019.

Like Muirfield, the R&A had asked Lytham to make changes, which included remodeling the Lancashire layout along with adding a new hole. This would lead to extra space for the requisite infrastructure.

Besides the 26-year gap between the first and second Open at Lytham, the current gap remains the longest, with only Trump’s Turnberry waiting longer among the clubs on the rota.

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Written by

Avishek Sarkar

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar