The R&A makes big event announcement about Muirfield

The 123rd Women’s Amateur Championship will be staged for the first time at the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers in June next year.

The announcement by the St Andrews-based governing body comes on the back of a similar ground-breaking hosting by the historic club of the AIG Women’s Open in 2022.

All that now remains to become clear is when The Open, last held at Muirfield in 2013 and won on that occasion by Phil Mickelson, will return to one of the best courses on The R&A’s list for the Claret Jug event.

This year’s edition at Royal Portrush, where it is heading back after just six years, is being followed by a return to Royal Birkdale in 2026 before St Andrews stages the game’s oldest major for the 31st time in 2027.

Part of the reason why Muirfield could be facing a minimum gap of 15 years between Opens was the club’s initial failure to admit women members in 2016 before a second vote the following year resulted in just over 80 per cent of the membership giving the green light to the proposal.

“It was difficult discussions (after the initial vote),” admitted Martin Slumbers in one of his final interviews before stepping down as The R&A’s CEO at the end of last year and handing over the reins to Mark Darbon.

“But, to their eternal credit, two or three of the past captains of Muirfield who I was dealing with were fully aware of my views and our views and wanted to go in that direction. It was a difficult moment for all of us, but I think the game is way better because of it.”

‘It is too good a golf course - but changes are required’

In the same interview with The Scotsman, Slumbers was not willing to give too much away when asked about when The Open might return to Muirfield. “As I said in my press conference in July (at Royal Troon), we will have an Open at Muirfield - it is too good a golf course,” he said with a smile.

But he also admitted of a venue where The Open winners include Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo (twice) and Ernie Els in addition to the aforementioned Mickelson: “There are a number of changes that need to happen to the golf facilities at Muirfield to stage a modern Open.

“The game was very different in 2013. The practice facilities, for instance. We had a huge 80-100 foot net and they were still popping it over the top of it and landing balls on number eight and, of course, we can’t have that.”

Women’s Amateur set for two successive stagings in Scotland

The announcement about the 2026 edition heading to Muirfield means the Women’s Amateur Championship is set to be held two years in a row in Scotland as this year’s event takes place at Nairn next week.

Meanwhile, the 131st Amateur Championship will take place next year at Royal Liverpool and West Lancashire.

Back on Scottish soil, the Girls’ and Boys’ Amateur Championships will be held at Craigielaw and Gailes Links respectively while the sixth season of The R&A Student Tour Series will conclude in St Andrews.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A, said: “It is a priority for The R&A to reinforce the status of our amateur championships, international matches and Student Tour Series as leading events in elite amateur golf.

“We aim to attract the best players from around the world and staging these competitions at some of the game’s most prestigious venues in 2026 underlines their importance.

“We are particularly pleased that Muirfield will host The Women’s Amateur Championship for the first time, adding another significant chapter to the championship’s distinguished history.”