Has Muirfield just moved one step closer to hosting the Open?
Muirfield has been announced as the host of the 2028 Senior Open as it potentially edges closer to staging the Open in the near future.
Major championship golf is returning to Muirfield, although not quite the tournament many were hoping for.
Indeed, the wait for an Open Championship to be staged at the East Lothian links will continue, but the venue has been announced as the host of the 2028 ISPS Handa Senior Open.
This will be the second time that the Senior Open will be held at Muirfield. In 2007, Tom Watson added the title to his Open Championship victory at the same course in 1980 for a unique double.
Usually staged the week after the Open, the 2028 edition will be played between August 10-13 due to the 2028 Olympic Games. The Open at Royal Lytham has also been pushed back to accommodate the Olympics.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Muirfield for the ISPS Handa Senior Open in 2028,” said championship director Edward Kitson following the announcement.
“The golf course is rated by many as one of the best in the country and we look forward to seeing the legends of the game compete there once again in 2028.
“We are grateful to ISPS Handa and our partners at The R&A, PGA Tour Champions, Muirfield and VisitScotland for their help in taking the championship back to East Lothian.”
When was the last time the Open was held at Muirfield?
Muirfield last staged the oldest major in the game back in 2013, with Phil Mickelson claiming his fifth major after coming from five shots back after 54 holes, but is there a chance of the tournament returning in the near future?
With Lytham returning after a 14-year absence, hopes are high that Muirfield might be the next links course to make a return, although some logistical challenges remain at the venue according to R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
“We’ve just staged a really successful Amateur Championship there for the women,” said Darbon.
“We’re excited to return an Open Championship to that venue in the future.
“It requires a few tweaks both around the golf course and across the site more broadly, but it’s a good dialogue with the club and one that we’ll maintain.”
In 2016, Muirfield was removed from the Open rota after a vote against allowing women members, but that decision was reversed a year later as a ballot in March 2017 allowed women’s membership.
Since the first Senior Open in 1987, courses in Scotland have hosted 16 of the 39 editions played.
Two of the last three tournaments were hosted by Carnoustie (2024) and Gleneagles (2026). The 2027 edition will take place at Royal Porthcawl for the third time since 2017.
With the Women’s Open being held at Muirfield in 2022, plus the news that the Senior Championship is to return in 2028, hopes are certainly high that the oldest major in golf will make a return to East Lothian sooner rather than later.
