{"id":437234,"date":"2026-01-25T21:05:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T21:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437234\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T21:05:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T21:05:12","slug":"rory-mcilroy-calls-for-muirfields-return-to-the-open-rota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/437234\/","title":{"rendered":"Rory McIlroy Calls For Muirfield\u2019s Return To The Open Rota"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of The Open\u2019s most famous venues, Muirfield<\/a>, hasn\u2019t hosted the Major for almost 13 years, but Rory McIlroy<\/a> believes it\u2019s time it was reinstated to the rota.<\/p>\n

Currently, only the next two venues for The Open have been confirmed, with Royal Birkdale hosting it for the 11th time this year, before it heads to the Old Course for the 31st time in 2027.<\/p>\n

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However, it is thought that Muirfield, which ranks fourth in Golf Monthly’s top 100 courses in the UK & Ireland 2025\/26 <\/a>and hosted the 2022 AIG Women’s Open, could be in the running for a slot beyond 2027, and McIlroy hopes that\u2019s the case.<\/p>\n

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Speaking after the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic, McIlroy said: \u201cIt would be wonderful if it was. I\u2019m not privy to those conversations, but Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only two courses, the Old Course at St Andrews and Prestwick Golf Club, have hosted The Open more often than Muirfield.<\/p>\n

However, it hasn\u2019t added to its 16 editions since 2013, partly due to disappointing attendance figures that year and partly because it only began allowing women members in 2017, but McIlroy believes now is the time to give it another look.<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cThey rectified the issues they had. It\u2019s a wonderful course. It\u2019s one of the best courses on the rota and in the UK.<\/p>\n

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\"Muirfield\"\n<\/p>\n

Muirfield last hosted The Open in 2013 <\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to commercially make sense. I think Mark Darbon [CEO of The R&A] has been brought in to 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

McIlroy\u2019s desire to see Muirfield back on The Open rota comes despite a disastrous performance at the course at the 2013 Open.<\/p>\n

Back then, McIlroy missed the cut after finishing on 12 over, a year before making amends by lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Liverpool<\/a>. However, he insisted that harrowing experience feels like a long time ago.<\/p>\n

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He said: \u201cCould have been my lowest point in my professional career. I\u2019ve won an Open since then, I\u2019ve played well in the Open. Yeah, 2013 feels like a lifetime ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Rory\n<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy missed the cut the last time The Open was held at Muirfield <\/p>\n

(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/p>\n

McIlroy also isn\u2019t convinced we\u2019ll see Royal Lytham & St Anne return to The Open rota<\/a> in the near future.<\/p>\n

The Lancashire venue last hosted the event in 2012, but with this year\u2019s Open coming from a similar area, he believes that could affect its chances of being selected for the 2028 edition \u2013 although it may get its chance in the years to follow.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cWith Birkdale this year, it would be very early to bring an Open back to that region in 2028. The Women\u2019s Open is at Lytham this year. Usually when the women\u2019s is somewhere, then the men\u2019s seems to follow pretty soon after. That could be the case.\u201d<\/p>\n

While questions over future Open venues will be addressed in due course, of more immediate concern was whether McIlroy could finish strongly at the Dubai Desert Classic, having left himself a mountain to climb to claim his fifth title at the event, 11 behind leader Patrick Reed<\/a> with a round to play.<\/p>\n

In the end, Reed cruised to victory<\/a> by four, with McIlroy completing a final round of 73 to place T33, ending a remarkable run of 11 successive top 10 finishes at the tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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