MUIRFIELD IS ‘BAD TASTE’
McIlroy remains critical of the years women were denied club membership
TORONTO en were denied membership and did not sound like he would be changing his opinion anytime soon.
“We’ll go back there for The O p e n C h a m p ionship at some point, and I won’t be having many cups of tea with the m e m b e r s a f t e rwards,” McIlroy, 27, said as he prepared for yesterday’s opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.
Muirfield had a male-only membership policy since the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which controls the course, was founded in 1744. Women are allowed to play there, but an initial ballot to allow women members failed in May last year when only 64 per cent voted in favour.
But centuries of discrimination ended when the necessary twothirds majority had been reached, with 80.2 per cent of members voting in favour of change on Tuesday.
The R&A, the body that organises The Open, then declared Muirfield back on its list of eligible courses, having said last year it would not stage the tournament at a venue that did not admit female members.
“I still think that it got to the stage, this stage, is horrendous,” said McIlroy, a four-time major winner who won the 2014 British Open at Royal Liv- erpool.
“And yeah, I mean, we’ll go back and we’ll play the Open Championship, because they will let women members in, but every time I go to Muirfield now I
Every time I go to Muirfield now I won’t have a great taste in my mouth.” RORY McILROY
World No 3
won’t have a great taste in my mouth.”
Muirfield has hosted the Open 16 times, most recently in 2013 when it was won by American Phil Mickelson. Reuters