Grand Slam champ Rory McIlroy has thrown his support behind Muirfield returning as an Open Championship host, declaring it to being the best on the rota.
This year will mark 13-years since 2013 when Phil Mickelson won the then 142nd Open Championship by three shots at the east of Edinburgh gem.
The R & A that hosts golf’s oldest major has announced venues only for the up-coming two years with Royal Birkdale in July and the 2027 Open to be returning to St. Andrews.
There’s no course yet allocated for 2028, and with the likes of Royal Lytham and St. Annes as well as Royal St. George’s not having hosted an Open since 2020 and Covid-hit 2021, respectively.
RORS BACKS @TheOpen RETURN TO MUIRFIELD …
It’s been over 12-years since @PhilMickelson won the 2013 Open at Muirfield.
Now @McIlroyRory is calling for golf’s oldest to return to the ⛳️
Read: https://t.co/1l3ks1n2y4
Getty
✅ @TOURMISS @SundayMailSport (Bernie ) pic.twitter.com/dgTA9juNWb
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) January 24, 2026
Overall, Muirfield’s hosted The Open on 16 occasions and ranking it third among 14 host venues since a first at Preswick in 1860.
Of course, Muirfield’s support of golf’s oldest major wasn’t helped by the club’s stubbon membership rules until finally in 2017 the club membereship overturned a prior vote to finally allow women members .
The club soon showed times were changing with the hosting of the maiden 2022 AIG AIG Women’s Open.
McIlroy was asked by media present following his Hero Dubai Desert Classic third round, his thoughts of The Open returning to Muirfield, and where he missed the cut in 2023 and his then sixth Open appearance.
He said: “Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota and it would be wonderful if it was.
“I’m not privy to those conversations, but Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota.
“They rectified the issues they had. It’s a wonderful 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 (R & As CEO) has been brought into 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.”
