DONALD Trump's ambassador reportedly lobbied David Mundell to bring the Open golf tournament to Turnberry.
According to today’s New York Times, Woody Johnson was asked by the President to get the major contest to his flagship Ayr course.
Despite the request leaving many of the diplomats at the American embassy uncomfortable, the Ambassador raised it with the then Secretary of State for Scotland.
In a carefully worded statement, a UK Government spokesperson said that Mundell and Johnson had met in early 2018, and discussed “a number of issues… reflecting the close cultural and economic ties between Scotland and the USA.”
The spokesperson added: “Mr Johnson made no request of Mr Mundell regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”
According to the New York Times, the ambassador’s deputy, Lewis A. Lukens, advised him not to do it, warning that it would be an unethical use of the presidency for private gain.
He then emailed officials at the US State Department to tell them what had happened.
The White House did not give a comment to the New York Times.
A spokesman for the R&A, Mike Woodcock told the paper: "We haven’t received any approaches from the British government or the Scottish government about this,” he said
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