This morning Sky Sports sent out a tweet that the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (HCEG) at Muirfield had voted against allowing women to become members of their 272 year old club. They needed a two thirds majority (or 66%) under their antiquated rules, and they fell just short at 64%.
This news has now been joined by this immediate reply from the Martin Slumbers of the R&A just up the A1 at St Andrews.
"We have consistently said that it is a matter for the Honourable Company to conduct a review of its membership policy and that we would await their decision.
"The R&A has considered today's decision with respect to The Open Championship. The Open is one of the world's great sporting events and going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members.
"Given the schedule for staging The Open, it would be some years before Muirfield would have been considered to host the Championship again. If the policy at the club should change we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future."
HCEG captain Henry Fairweather said: "The Honourable Company is a members club, and, as such, the members decide the rules of the club, including its membership policy.
"Women will continue to be welcome at Muirfield on the course and in the clubhouse as guests and visitors, as they have been for many years."
update...
From a personal point of view Muirfield is a wonderfully welcome place to play. The members could not have made us more comfortable, and lunch there is something very special, everyone seated at a long table in a simple room surrounded by some of the games most ancient and precious artifacts.
This announcement today however has been viewed on a world wide stage and is being met with astonishment by many and for sure it is not good for the game, nor the club.
Harsh Scottish critics have described Muirfield as a drinking men's club with a golf course attached, where old wealthy members show up daily for nine holes, then a few gin and tonics before wine and lunch. Those critics also say that the members couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks..
I will point out that the R&A finally voted in favour of admitting women in 2015, but only after they changed their rules to make it only a majority vote that was necessary and in fact they made sure their membership world wide cast their vote.
If that were the case at Muirfield, women would be admitted and this announcement today would have been completely different.
I can't help but think the members I know there are very upset at the attention they are getting world wide and will move quickly to change their antiquated voting system to resolve the matter.
Bryan Angus
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