Muirfield x The Open year shrouded in uncertainty despite the club 'rocking'

Practical issues need to be resolved before world’s oldest major returns to East Lothian venue

So 2027 will not be the year when The Open makes its long-awaited return to Muirfield after last week’s announcement by The R&A that the 155th edition will be held at St Andrews. Which begs the question: when exactly is the East Lothian course, regarded by many as the best on The Open rota, getting the event again after last being used for the Claret Jug joust in 2013?

Well, even the members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers have, by all accounts, been asking that over the past few days because, although hosting the world’s oldest major again - won the last time there by Phil Mickelson as the American added his name to an impressive list of champions - is an important objective in the club’s strategy and discussions about it are ongoing, it has not received an invitation as of yet from The R&A to do so.

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It could be said, of course, that the Muirfield members only have themselves to blame for being made to wait a lot longer than would certainly have been the case after needing two attempts to admit women members, with an initial ‘no’ vote prompting The R&A to come out and say that the venue would not be considered for any of its events as long as it remained a male-only bastion.

The last Claret Jug joust at Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Golfers, was back in 2013The last Claret Jug joust at Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Golfers, was back in 2013
The last Claret Jug joust at Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Golfers, was back in 2013 | Andrew Redington/Getty Images

“We got caught up in a storm” is how one member reflects on that unfortunate chapter in the club’s rich history and it did indeed cast a dark cloud above its iconic clubhouse for a spell. At the same time, though, some credit is now surely due to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers for the way it has embraced having a mixed membership along with the likes of The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, Royal Troon, Royal Burgess, Bruntsfield Links and numerous other historic Scottish clubs.

It was a significant milestone in Muirfeld’s new journey, so to speak, when it hosted the AIG Women’s Open for the first time in 2022 and, from what I understand anyway, there was absolutely nothing that happened during that particular week that should have raised any red flags about ongoing negativity towards women. Far from it, in fact, because the best women golfers in the world were welcomed with open arms.

If that was some sort of test and the club passed it with flying colours, then why is it going to be 2028 at the earliest and maybe even into the 2030s before The Open is back at Muirfield for a 17th time, having first been staged there in 1892 and, since the 1959 event, only once having had to wait ten years in between editions before now?

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Well, The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers isn’t prepared to throw any light on where it stands on that. “Enquiries regarding The Open returning to Muirfield should be directed to The R&A” is the club’s official line in reply to media enquiries on the matter, which might well raise the odd eyebrow among some of its members but that decision has obviously been made with a view to ensuring that the relationship with the St Andrews-based governing body doesn’t become strained again.

Speaking at last year’s Open at Royal Troon, Martin Slumbers said “absolutely, we’re going back to Muirfield” when the question was asked about a possible return and he reiterated that in an interview with this correspondent in November, when he also acknowledged that a new practice range was among some practical issues that need to be addressed, before ending his nine-year spell as The R&A’s CEO and handing the reins over to his successor, Mark Darbon.

At no point was it ever indicated that Muirfield was in line for the 2027 event, but, at the same time, it had been hinted by none other than three-time champion Tiger Woods during the 2022 event that 2030 was being talked about for the next Open at St Andrews. We now know that’s not the case, of course, and the 2027 staging there will not only mark a return of a five-year cycle for the event on the Old Course but it will also be a centenary celebration of the legendary amateur, Bobby Jones, winning the event at the home of golf.

Last week’s announcement could be viewed as Darbon getting his feet under the table and, of course, The R&A will be looking to rake in another fortune in just over three years’ time after the 150th event at St Andrews attracted a record-breaking 290,000 fans, but the reaction from lots of people to Muirfield’s wait being prolonged will surely have registered with the new man.

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A complication for him could be a contract for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club being extended beyond 2026, though you have to think that it wouldn’t be either too much of a problem for the parties concerned or too much difficulty for the DP World Tour and PGA Tour co-sanctioned event being moved to a venue in another part of the country for one year, as the authorities would no doubt demand.

New The R&A CEO Mark Darbon, far right, pictured with Richard Lochhead, Business Minister, Scottish Government; Rhona Corscadden, Head of Sport Delivery, VisitScotland and Sandra Tuddenham, Chair of St Andrews Links Trust at last week’s announcement that The 155th Open will played at St Andrews in New The R&A CEO Mark Darbon, far right, pictured with Richard Lochhead, Business Minister, Scottish Government; Rhona Corscadden, Head of Sport Delivery, VisitScotland and Sandra Tuddenham, Chair of St Andrews Links Trust at last week’s announcement that The 155th Open will played at St Andrews in
New The R&A CEO Mark Darbon, far right, pictured with Richard Lochhead, Business Minister, Scottish Government; Rhona Corscadden, Head of Sport Delivery, VisitScotland and Sandra Tuddenham, Chair of St Andrews Links Trust at last week’s announcement that The 155th Open will played at St Andrews in | The R&A

There is absolutely no denying, of course, that an attendance of just over 140,000 for the 2013 edition was hugely disappointing, but, due to significant changes to how the event is now marketed, it wouldn’t be a problem attracting, say, 250,000 at Muirfield, though the jury is out, certainly in the eyes of this correspondent, about that target figure necessarily being a good thing as far as spectator enjoyment is concerned.

Will The Open be back at Muirfield? Yes, of course, but the exact year remains unknown because, by the sounds of things, it is going to take time to work through some issues that come with the event, both on and off the course, due to its growth in recent years.

The sooner the better, though, because we’re already facing a minimum 15-year wait and, more likely, 17 years or more and that, quite frankly, is too long for one of the world’s best courses to lie dormant in that respect, especially at a time when, according to one member, it is “rocking due to being in such a happy place!”

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