Just in case you forgot who was really important at the RICOH Women’s British Open and almost everyone seemed loath to speak about him yesterday he’ll helicopter into Turnberry this morning.
The proverbial “elephant in the room” arrives just in time to deflect interest from the actual start of this major championship, but it’s only right; among Donald Trump’s more gratuitous boasts of late is that he “saved” the LPGA when everyone else thought it was dead.
Unsurprisingly, the LPGA and tournament owners the LGU didn’t take up his offer to switch the championship at the last moment although they seemed sorely tempted – in the light of his comments about Mexicans as part of his presidential campaign, and Turnberry is where we stay.
In the meantime, it seemed everyone was in lockdown on Trump as there’s no appetite to bite the hand that feeds them, but Lizette Salas, the US Solheim Cup player of Mexican descent, bravely fronted up.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion,” she said of Trump’s comments. “I’m proud of my heritage, proud of where I come from, not ashamed of being born of Mexican immigrants. It doesn’t change what I feel about myself.
“I don’t know him. I think he has more important issues than to talk to me, and I have more important issues, namely to win this golf tournament.”
Dame Laura Davies, the elder stateswoman of women’s golf, also broke ranks with the “I’m not interested in politics” line.
Laura who does not insist on Dame as Nick Faldo does on “Sir” did say she “didn’t get involved” with such matters as whether Trump venues would now be blacklisted by golf.
“I have no idea, but the (men’s) PGA Tour seems to be taking some of their events away so I am assuming we are going to follow suit; that’s up to the Commissioner, the board and everybody else,” she said.
“But if we weren’t to come back here it would be a real tragedy, because it’s such a great place and a great golf course. And it would be lovely to play it again with the new layout, obviously.”
Davies, who was one of the first women to be named an honorary member of the R&A earlier this year, thinks those new proposed changes which are set to start construction after this championship – “sound spectacular”.
“If the R&A have signed off on it, it must be very good, because I wouldn’t have thought they would allow them to mess with such a prestigious course,” she added, showing a lot more faith in her fellow club members than many.
But if it’s possible to put Trump aside for a minute this week, there should be a grand championship to be contested over the old Ailsa links, the one good enough to produce the Duel in the Sun, Greg Norman’s 63 in the storm, Nick Price’s massive eagle putt and Tom Watson so nearly winning the Open at 59.
Inbee Park, the world No 1, looks a woman transformed from the rather hunted figure she was when last in Scotland, chasing a calendar Grand Slam at St Andrews in 2013. She’ll be happy enough to complete the career version this week by winning.
“2013 was obviously the craziest pressure,” she recalled. “2014 was a lot better, and this year I feel a lot less pressure. I come into this week with no expectations although this is one of my most-wanted goals left; this and the Olympics.”
Park has been battling back spasms, Michelle Wie is still hirpling largely on one leg, and Lexi Thompson has a hand injury, but none can be discounted, even if Stacey Lewis world No 3 and given her performance two years ago at St Andrews, the smart money favourite – seems fit and fine now her clubs were recovered from the tarmac at Heathrow where they were left by handlers.
Only two players in the field know what it is to win at Turnberry 2002 champion Karrie Webb, and England’s Charley Hull, who won a national club amateur event here 10 years ago when just nine years old, beating a 35-year-old in a play-off.
She remembered being in the clubhouse when called to the play-off in stormy conditions.
“I was playing on my Nintendo DS in the clubhouse and was annoyed at being told to stop,” she said. “So I won the play-off on the second hole and went back to my DS.”
RICOH have committed to being the main sponsor of the event until 2018, taking their relationship to 12 years and including the 2017 championship at Kingsbarns Links.
Seven Scots are in the field led by the 2009 champion Catriona Matthew, with Carly Booth, Viki Laing, Pamela Pretswell, Kylie Walker, Sally Watson and amateur Connie Jaffray carrying home hopes.