Rory McIlroy has endorsed Muirfield’s case for an Open Championship revival despite reaching a golfing nadir there when the Major was last staged at the Scottish links in 2013. McIlroy declared he felt “unconscious” and “brain dead” while en route to a missed cut in East Lothian 13 years ago.
The refusal of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to admit women – a scenario that changed in 2017 – and the low attendance at Muirfield on that last visit, played a part in the absence of the Open. Yet the venue is still rightly regarded as one of the finest in the world.
The R&A has yet to announce Open sites beyond St Andrews in 2027. Muirfield is at least part of that discussion and rightly so, according to McIlroy. “It would be wonderful if it was,” he said. “I’m not privy to those conversations, but Muirfield deserves to be back on the Open rota.
“They rectified the issues they had. It’s a wonderful course. It’s one of the best courses on the rota and in the UK. As well, it has to commercially make sense. I think Mark Darbon [the chief executive] has been brought in to [the R&A] make the Open Championship commercially viable. I would say Muirfield, that area, North Berwick, that would probably be one of the more commercially viable Opens.”
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McIlroy laughed when contemplating 2013. Rounds of 79 and 75 meant he exited at 12 over par. “Could have been my lowest point in my professional career,” said the Masters champion. “I’ve won an Open since then, I’ve played well in the Open. Yeah, 2013 feels like a lifetime ago.”
Royal Lytham & St Annes has endured an even longer wait than Muirfield. The Lancashire links last staged the Open in 2012, when Ernie Els prevailed over Adam Scott in dramatic style. The 2029 Open will mark 50 years since Seve Ballesteros triumphed at Lytham.
“With Birkdale this year, it would be very early to bring an Open back to that region in 2028,” McIlroy said. “The Women’s Open is at Lytham this year. Usually when the women’s is somewhere, then the men’s seems to follow pretty soon after. That could be the case.”
McIlroy was in fine fettle despite missing a short par putt on the 18th hole of his third round at the Dubai Desert Classic. His 71 for a three under par aggregate leaves him 11 shots behind leader Patrick Reed.
“It’s January,” he said when asked to assess the state of his game. “I am sort of working my way back into form a little bit. It is okay. It’s not exactly where I want it to be, but it is early. I just want to go out and play a good round tomorrow and end the week on a positive note.”
Reed surged into a four-shot lead after the third round. The American increased his one-stroke advantage from Friday by three shots following a calm 67 consisting of seven birdies and two bogeys to reach 14 under par for the tournament.
He endured an early battle for the lead with Francesco Molinari, who led after 18 holes, when the Italian had opened with three straight birdies.
Reed, who was flawless in his seven-under 65 in round two, bogeyed the first, but bounced back with birdies at the second and third to join Molinari at the summit.
Reed dropped a shot at the sixth, birdied the seventh to return to 10 under, but once he hit the front with another birdie at the ninth he did not look back.
The 2018 Masters champion rolled in further birdies at the 10th, 13th and last to open up a four-shot lead over David Puig, who carded a brilliant 66.
“You’re always excited showing up on Sunday with a lead,” Reed said. “It’s what we live for as players, and as competitors, is to have a chance on Sundays, and play late on Sundays, and battle it out with the guys.
“I know it’s not going to be easy, it never is, it doesn’t matter how big of a lead you have, but I can’t wait for it and looking forward to tomorrow.”
Andy Sullivan and Ryder Cup star Viktor Hovland are in a share of third at nine under, while Italian pair Francesco Molinari and Andrea Pavan are one shot further back.
Tom McKibbin is a shot ahead of McIlroy on four under after also carding a 71, while Shane Lowry fell back to one under after carding a two-over 74. – Guardian
