Muirfield votes against female members

• Club votes against admitting women
• Members fail to reach 2/3s majority decision in favour of change
• Question mark now hangs over its place on Open Rota

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers – home to Open host venue Muirfield – has voted against letting women join the club.

A two-thirds majority of those who voted was required to change the club’s membership policy to admit women as members.

In an open letter the club committee had recommended that the membership vote in favour of a resolution to admit women as members. In the end a postal ballot of members, scrutinised by Electoral Reform Services, did not reach the required threshold in favour of change.

Voting was divided 64% in favour of the resolution and 36% against.

Club 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.”

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor