Muirfield is set to host another Open championship after a 21-year wait, though the upcoming event will feature the senior circuit. The R&A announced on Tuesday that the East Lothian links in Scotland will welcome the Senior British Open in 2028 for the first time since Tom Watson claimed victory there in 2007.
Uncertainty Over Men’s Open Championship Return
It remains undecided whether Muirfield, widely considered the purest links course on the Open rota, will once again stage golf’s oldest championship. The Open Championship has not visited the venue since Phil Mickelson lifted the Claret Jug in 2013. With the next available open date scheduled for 2029, the gap between men’s Opens at the course will stretch to at least 16 years. This marks a significant delay, as Muirfield has never previously waited more than 13 years between tournaments since the competition resumed following World War I.
Course Infrastructure and Future Venues
The delay centres on whether Muirfield will modify its layout to accommodate the larger spectator crowds preferred by the R&A for modern editions of the Open. Despite these infrastructure questions, the course previously successfully hosted the Women’s British Open in 2022. Meanwhile, the R&A has already lined up the next two men’s Open venues, heading to St. Andrews next year and Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2028, which last hosted the tournament in 2012.
