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Club captain Henry Fairweather announced that the necessary
two-thirds majority had been reached, with 80.2 percent of
members voting in favour of change.
Muirfield has had a male-only membership policy since the
Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, which controls the
course, was founded in 1744.
Women are allowed to play there, but an initial ballot to allow
women members failed in May last year when only 64 percent voted
in favour.
That result drew criticism from several top golfers, including
four-times major winner Rory McIlroy, while Fairweather also
expressed his disappointment.
Tournament organiser The Royal and Ancient said last year that
it would not stage The Open at a venue that did not admit women
as members. It said, however, that Muirfield would be considered
again if the membership policy was brought into line with other
Open courses. "In light of today’s decision by the Honourable
Company we can confirm that Muirfield will become a venue for
The Open once again," Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the
R&A, said in a statement.
"Muirfield has a long and important history of hosting The Open
and with today’s announcement that will continue... We very much
look forward to taking the Championship back there in future."
Muirfield has hosted the Open 16 times, most recently in 2013
when it was won by American Phil Mickelson.
The Royal St George's club in Kent was recently awarded hosting
rights for the 2020 Open after it too voted to allow women
members in 2015. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Mark
Trevelyan)
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