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R&A Selects Royal Lytham & St Annes for 2028 Open Championship
The R&A announced in late April that the 156th Open Championship will be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes. The decision ends a public campaign by a player to bring the event to Muirfield. The governing body cited infrastructure and practice-ground limitations at the East Lothian venue.
Jul 18, 8:30 AM·1m read1 source
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The R&A confirmed in late April that the 156th Open Championship will return to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028. The decision ends a months-long public campaign by a player to secure the event for Muirfield. The governing body said the practice ground at Muirfield remains inadequate for a modern championship and that additional infrastructure work is still required.
Officials added that discussions with the venue continue and that the course could host the event in the future. Muirfield last hosted the Open in 2013. The club admitted women members in 2017 after earlier excluding them, and the R&A reinstated the venue to the rota in principle that same year.
The same player noted that the venue must also meet commercial requirements for a modern Open. The player finished outside the top positions after 36 holes at Muirfield in 2013 and later described the performance as a low point in his career. He won the Open the following year at Royal Liverpool.
Attendance at the 2013 Open at Muirfield reached roughly 142,000 spectators. Recent Opens at St Andrews and Royal Portrush each drew more than 280,000 spectators. Golf Digest currently ranks Muirfield third on its list of the world's 100 greatest golf courses.
