Muirfield must make a few tweaks before it can host The Open Championship again, according to R&A chief executive Mark Darbon.
Widely revered as one of the finest courses on the rota, Muirfield has not staged the tournament since 2013 when Phil Mickelson lifted the Claret Jug. The wait for its return will continue after Royal Lytham was confirmed earlier this year to stage golf's oldest championship in 2028.
Speaking ahead of this year's championship at Royal Birkdale, which is expected to see record crowds of over 300,000, Darbon noted that the R&A maintains a great dialogue with the venue. Muirfield also recently hosted a successful Amateur Championship for women.
"As I've said to you many times, we've got a great dialogue with Muirfield," Darbon said. "We've just staged a really successful Amateur Championship there for the women. We're excited to return an Open Championship to that venue in the future."
"It requires a few tweaks both around the golf course and across the site more broadly, but it's a good dialogue with the club and one that we'll maintain," he added.
Course changes and crowd capacity
Royal Birkdale changed its layout quite dramatically this year, particularly on the back nine. Asked if Muirfield would have to make similar alterations to accommodate massive crowds, Darbon emphasised that host venues are members' clubs where decisions are driven by the membership.
"I think what I would say, first and foremost, is that these are all members' clubs," Darbon said. "So a lot of the decision-making is driven by the members themselves. I think where we are this week is a brilliant example of that. The changes to the golf course have been driven by the members."
Darbon acknowledged that while the R&A participates in operational discussions, spectator accommodation is not the sole factor behind course modifications. "Given the strength of partnership that we have with our host venues, of course we're part of some of those discussions, and where there are things that we can do together that also help us operationally, they often make sense to do to help with the staging of the championship," he said. "But I think it would be wrong to say that all of the changes are driven by a need to accommodate spectators. They're ultimately decisions for the clubs and their members."
Portmarnock rota plans and player prize money
Darbon also revealed that the R&A is getting pretty close to taking The Open to Portmarnock in Ireland, which would mark a new addition to the venue rota.
Addressing financial rewards, Darbon discussed a slight increase in prize money for this year's championship, with the winner set to receive a cheque for around £2.4 million.
"We are big believers in recognising and rewarding the players," Darbon said. "They're the icons of our sport. They have a disproportionate impact on the status and standing of the game."
He explained that prize payout is only one component of the broader package offered at The Open Championship. "We look at prize money as part of a broader package that we offer here at The Open Championship," Darbon added. "So prize money is but one component of that comparison. At the same time, we're trying to find a model that gets the balance right. We have a relatively unique model at The R&A. We invest the proceeds that we generate from this Open Championship back into the sport. That's really important for us, and we think we're finding the right balance."