Rory McIlroy Criticises Honourable Company at Muirfield

Post by Golf Writer Kieran Clark

Earlier this week, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield voted to admit women members to their historic club, which has seen the revered course reinstated on the Open Championship rotation. This second ballot came less than a year after the East Lothian golfers had narrowly voted against ending their single-gender policy, which was widely condemed and immedatiely placed the legendary links' status as a venue in question.

Many have welcomed the change of heart from the Honourable Company, but it has not come without caveats, with the suspicion being that the club only progressed towards greater equality through economic pressures surrounding being a host of the game's oldest and most prestigious major championship. The R&A have been quick to forgive and forget, but four-time major winner Rory McIlroy was not so easy to placate.

Speaking ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, the former world number one said: “I still think that it got to this stage is horrendous."

“We'll go back and play the Open because they'll let women members in, but every time I go I won't have a great taste in my mouth.”

“I mean, in this day and age, where you've got women that are leaders of certain industries and women that are heads of state and not be able to join a golf course - I mean, it's obscene.

Asked directly about the fact that 20% of members voted against the measure, despite the controversay that emerged last year, the 2014 Open champion was scathing: “It's horrendous. I mean, I just don't get it.

“So anyway, we'll go back there for the Open Championship at some point and I won't be having many cups of tea with the members afterwards.”