Donald Trump bought the Turnberry club in Scotland in 2014.
Photo: Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty ImagesThe U.S. ambassador in London told associates in February 2018 that he had been asked by President Trump to see if he could arrange for the British Open golf tournament to be held at the Trump Turnberry resort in Scotland, according to a person familiar with the matter.
After returning from a trip to Washington, Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson told a top diplomat on two occasions that Mr. Trump had made the request, the person familiar with the matter said.
The deputy chief of mission, Lewis Lukens, strongly advised against approaching British authorities on the matter, arguing that it would be unethical.
Mr. Johnson mentioned Mr. Trump’s interest in hosting the tournament during a meeting with David Mundell, the secretary of state for Scotland, though the ambassador’s comments may have stopped short of an official request, according to U.S. Embassy personnel at the time.
Mr. Trump at a press conference Wednesday said that he “never spoke to Woody Johnson about that, about Turnberry” but noted that the golf course there is ”one of the best in the world."
A British government spokesman confirmed in a statement that Messers. Johnson and Mundell met in early 2018 but said that “no request was made regarding the British Open or any other sporting event.”
The episode is one of a series of contentious events involving Mr. Johnson, an owner of the New York Jets football team and a Republican contributor who was appointed by Mr. Trump to the diplomatic post in 2017.
Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson arriving at Downing Street in London on Tuesday.
Photo: Hannah Mckay/PA Wire/Zuma PressMr. Johnson since arriving in London has been accused by U.S. Embassy officials of making racially insensitive and sexually tinged comments, including questioning the need for Black History Month.
The State Department Office of Inspector General, an internal watchdog agency, has been preparing a report on the embassy, but it has yet to be made public. Complaints regarding Mr. Johnson’s comments were provided to investigators when they began a routine assessment of the embassy last year, the person familiar with the matter said. The Office of Inspector General declined to comment.
In a Twitter message Wednesday, Mr. Johnson wrote: “I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.”
Mr. Johnson’s Twitter message didn’t address the British Open. State Department officials didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the tournament and Mr. Johnson’s language.
Mr. Trump’s interest in having the ambassador steer the British Open to one of his properties was first reported by the New York Times. CNN has reported that the State Department’s Inspector General has been investigating allegations that Mr. Johnson made racially tinged and sexist comments.
Mr. Trump bought the Turnberry club in 2014. The British Open is run by the R&A, a golf association based at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews. “We weren’t approached about this,” a spokesman for the organization said.
Mr. Johnson also stirred controversy over his decision to dismiss Mr. Lukens from his post as deputy chief of mission in 2019, several months before his three-year tour was to have come to an end.
Mr. Lukens previously had served as the U.S. ambassador to Senegal. During two talks at British universities in October 2018, Mr. Lukens recounted how President Barack Obama had handled his differences with the country’s leader over its ban on same-sex relationships.
The thrust of Mr. Lukens anecdote was to make the point that countries can disagree on sensitive issues but still maintain constructive relations. But Mr. Johnson saw it as an act of disloyalty to Mr. Trump, and cut short his tour, the person familiar with the matter said.
Mr. Lukens was offered another diplomatic post in a different location. But he decided to retire from the Foreign Service and now works for a consulting firm.
When he was serving as the acting ambassador in London before Mr. Johnson took up the post, Mr. Lukens tweeted his praise of London’s mayor, Sadiq Kahn, for his leadership following a terrorist attack in the city.
His comments about London’s first Muslim mayor contrasted with Mr. Trump, who wrote a series of tweets accusing Mr. Kahn of playing down terrorist dangers.
Mr. Johnson and his family purchased the Jets in 2000 for a reported $635 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a professional sports franchise at the time. Mr. Johnson is a fourth generation descendant of the family that founded the pharmaceutical and medical giant Johnson & Johnson.
Mr. Johnson has often lent his financial might to support the Republican Party. He has organized fundraisers for candidates, including 2008 presidential candidate John McCain, and the Republican National Committee. After initially serving as Jeb Bush’s national finance chair, he later supported Mr. Trump.
The accusations concerning Mr. Johnson’s comments about women and racial matters come at a sensitive moment for the National Football League, which put out an amplified message on social issues in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.
An NFL spokesman said the league is aware of news reports about his comments and referred comment to the State Department.
—Andrew Beaton and Max Colchester contributed to this article.
Write to Michael R. Gordon at michael.gordon@wsj.com
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