Straffan, Ireland … Former double Open Champion Padraig Harrington has expressed in condemning a vote by Muirfield Golf Club not to allow women members.
The R & A, as organisers of golf’s oldest major, reacted strongly and quickly to the vote by stripping Muirfield from again hosting The Open until such time women are allowed to become members of the club located to east of Edinburgh.
Muirfield announced earlier Thursday a postal vote of members resulted in a 64 % to 36% majority in remaining to be an ‘all-male’ club.
Muirfield first held The Open in 1892 and has now staged 16 Open Championship including the last in 2013 when Phil Mickelson was handed the Claret Jug for a first time in his career.
Double Open winning Padraig Harrington condemns Muirfield voting not to allow women members.
Harrington won back-to-back Open Championship in 2007 at Carnoustie and then a year later at Royal Birkdale while the Irishman also is an ambassador for the R & A.
“The R&A have a big responsibility, not just to golf but to society because of the position they hold and they have to do these things,” he said after posting a four over par 76 on day one of the Irish Open at the K. Club.
“It’s only right that the R & A do remove Muirfield it because of the circumstances, we have a similar thing in Ireland (Portmarnock GC) that won’t allow women members and that’s the reality of the world, if you want to hold yourself out there you have to give an equal chance to everybody.
“Muirfield may go ahead and say we want just be a small golf club and mind their own business and that’s fine, but minding their own business isn’t holding the Open is it?
Padraig Harrington with the famed Claret Jug after winning 2007 Open Championship.
“I can see the R&A have done the right thing for the bigger picture and the greater cause because they have that responsibility. They lead golf on a world stage and their brand is such a big brand that they have a responsibility to general society not to in some way condone it, to drift along as if it’s not happening.
“This shows they (R&A) are moving into the modern era, that they have more of a responsibility than just golf, and especially more than just professional golfers because the R&A is an amateur association. The R&A have a bigger responsibility than just to be keeping professional golfers happy that we’re playing a nice golf course.
Harrington, who has competed in two Muirfield Open’s in 2002 and 2013, says it comes as no surprise the course has been dropped from the rota of 10 Open Championship venues.
“There is a great history and heritage to Muirfield and the players love playing it, it’s a great golf course and I can see why people would want to keep it there, but the reality is the R&A have a bigger responsibility outside of golf,” he said.
“On an individual basis if you want to be a smaller club and not deal with the outside world then that’s their business, but once you step into the general public and society and especially a media world then you have to make sure everything is fair to everybody.
“I don’t think it’s a message, it’s pretty loud and clear. We have the same situation in Ireland, one of our better courses (Portmarnock) is no lady members and they can’t host the Irish Open. That’s perfectly normal.”
News the R & A has dropped Muirfield from the rota sends a strong message to Royal Troon that will host this year’s 145th Open Championship, but who have assured the R & A they will be conducting a vote among its all-male members to allow women to join the club.
If Royal Troon eventually agrees, it will leave Muifield as the only all-male club in in the modern era to host The Open.
