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Scottish golf club Muirfield will once again be eligible to host the British Open after its members voted on Tuesday to admit women as members for the first time in the club's 200-year history.
To Rory McIlroy, however, the decision came much too late.
"In this day and age, where you've got women that are the leaders of certain industries and women that are heads of state, and not to be able to join a golf course?'' McIlroy said on Wednesday from the Bay Hill Club, where he will play at this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational. "I mean, it's obscene. Like, it's ridiculous. So they sort of saw sense."
Last year, Muirfield's members voted against allowing women from becoming members, which resulted in it losing the ability to host the British Open in the future. This year, the measure to admit women passed - though 123 members voted against allowing women to join.
McIlroy took umbrage with the members who voted against opening the club to women.
"It's horrendous,'' he said. "I mean, I just don't, I don't get it. So anyway, look, we'll go back there for The Open Championship at some point, and I won't be having many cups of tea with the members afterwards.''
"And yeah, we'll go back and we'll play The Open Championship, because they will let women members in, but every time I go to Muirfield now I won't have a great taste in my mouth," he added.
According to ESPN, Muirfield would next be eligible to host the British Open in 2021.