And earlier this month the PGA of America announced it had been ”mutually agreed” that the Grand Slam of Golf – a 36-hole event contested by the year’s major champions – would not take place as scheduled at Trump National in Los Angeles on October 20-21.

Turnberry last staged the Open in 2009 and the earliest it could return is 2021, with R&A chief executive Peter Dawson appearing happy on the eve of the Open at St Andrews that a decision on taking the championship to the Ayrshire venue did not have to be made “for quite some time.”

Asked today if his outspoken nature could jeopardise the Open’s return to Turnberry, Trump told a press conference during the Ricoh Women’s British Open: “It doesn’t matter to me, I have to do what’s right. What I said in the United States turned out to be true, it was right – we’re talking about illegal immigration.

“This (Turnberry) will be the greatest canvas in the world, especially when it’s renovated and finished the way they’ve wanted it for decades. The R&A has wanted this done for decades because the land is sitting there. All I can do is give the greatest canvas.

“The women are coming off today saying ’This is the greatest course we play on tour’. It will be even better a year from now, so we’ll see what happens.

“This is considered the favourite course of the players so there’s a lot of pressure to come back to Turnberry. I think there’s probably not going to be a problem with that.”