3 days ago
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Rory McIlroy has endorsed Muirfield’s case for an Open revival despite reaching a golfing nadir there when the major was last staged at the Scottish links in 2013.
McIlroy famously declared he felt “unconscious” and “brain dead” while en route to a missed cut in East Lothian 13 years ago. The refusal of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to admit women – a scenario that changed in 2017 – and the low attendance at Muirfield on that last visit played a part in the absence of the Open. Yet the venue is still rightly regarded as one of the finest in the world.
The R&A has yet to announce Open sites beyond St Andrews in 2027. Muirfield is at least part of that discussion and rightly so, according to McIlroy. “It would be wonderful if it was,” said McIlroy of Muirfield being given the nod again. “I’m not privy to those conversations but Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota.
“I would say at Muirfield, they rectified the issues that they had. It’s a wonderful golf course. It’s one of the best courses on the rota and in the UK. As well, it has to commercially make sense. I think Mark Darbon [the chief executive] has been brought in to [the R&A] make the Open Championship commercially viable. I would say Muirfield, that area, North Berwick, that would probably be one of the more commercially viable opens.”
Portmarnock in Dublin is expected to stage the first Open outside of the United Kingdom in the near future. A further and logistical complication with Muirfield is the current staging of the Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, which is essentially next door, on the previous week.
McIlroy laughed when contemplating 2013. Rounds of 79 and 75 meant he exited at 12 over par. “Could have been my lowest point in my professional career,” said the Masters champion. “I’ve won an Open since then, I’ve played well in the Open. Yeah, 2013 feels like a lifetime ago.”
Royal Lytham & St Annes has endured an even longer wait than Muirfield. The Lancashire links last staged the Open in 2012, when Ernie Els prevailed over Adam Scott in dramatic style. The 2029 Open will mark 50 years since Seve Ballesteros triumphed at Lytham.
“With Birkdale this year, it would be very early to bring an Open back to that region in 2028,” McIlroy added. “The Women’s Open is at Lytham this year. Usually when the women’s is somewhere, then the men’s seems to follow pretty soon after. That could be the case.”
McIlroy was in fine fettle despite missing a short par putt on the 18th hole of his third round at the Dubai Desert Classic. His 71 for a three under par aggregate almost certainly leaves too much to do going into round four.
“It’s January,” said McIlroy when asked to assess the state of his game. “So I am sort of working my way back into form a little bit. It is OK. It’s not exactly where I want it to be but it is early. I just want to go out and play a good round tomorrow and end the week on a positive note.”
