Andy DevaneyTwenty-one years after Tom Watson added another memorable chapter to his remarkable career at Muirfield, the world’s leading senior golfers are heading back to East Lothian.
The ISPS HANDA Senior Open will return to the famous Scottish links from 10–13 August 2028, with Muirfield confirmed as host of the championship’s 41st edition.
It will be only the second time the venue has staged the event, following its debut in 2007. And if the organisers needed reminding of what makes Muirfield such a compelling stage, they need only look back at the man who lifted the trophy that year.
Tom Watson and a Muirfield Double Worth Remembering
Golf has a habit of producing wonderful coincidences, but Watson’s relationship with Muirfield was rather more substantial than that.
In 1980, the American secured The Open Championship at the East Lothian venue. Twenty-seven years later, he returned to win the Senior Open by a single stroke, collecting his third title in the championship.
For a player with eight major championships to his name, it was another significant achievement in an already extraordinary career.
Watson remains one of only five golfers to have won both The Open and the Senior Open. More remarkably, he is the only player to have completed that double at the same venue twice, achieving the feat at both Muirfield and Turnberry.
It is the sort of history that gives a championship return considerably more meaning than simply another date on the golfing calendar.
Muirfield’s Championship Pedigree
Few venues can match Muirfield’s place in the history of championship golf.
Home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the course dates back to 1891, when Old Tom Morris laid out its original 18 holes following the club’s move from Musselburgh.
Since then, Muirfield has hosted The Open Championship on 16 occasions, along with 11 Amateur Championships and some of the game’s most significant international team competitions.
The Ryder Cup came calling in 1973, while the Walker Cup was contested there in 1959 and 1979. Muirfield also hosted the Curtis Cup in 1952, with the AIG Women’s Open Championship becoming its most recent major championship in 2022.
The Senior Open’s return in 2028 adds another chapter to that considerable history.
Edward Kitson, Championship Director of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open, welcomed the decision.
“We are thrilled to be returning to Muirfield for the ISPS HANDA Senior Open in 2028.
“This will be just the second time that we have taken the Senior Open to this historic championship links. The golf course is rated by many as one of the best in the country and we look forward to seeing the legends of the game compete there once again in 2028.
“We are grateful to ISPS HANDA and our partners at The R&A, PGA TOUR Champions, Muirfield and VisitScotland for their help in taking the Championship back to East Lothian.”
A Significant Return for Scottish Golf
For Scotland, the return also represents another opportunity to showcase one of its most established championship venues to an international audience.
The event is co-sanctioned by the Staysure Legends Tour and PGA TOUR Champions, with results counting towards both the Staysure Legends Tour Order of Merit and the Schwab Cup.
That gives the championship significance on both senior tours, as well as its standing as Europe’s only senior major.
Rob Dickson, Director of Industry and Events at VisitScotland, highlighted the potential benefits beyond the golf course, pointing to the championship’s role in raising Scotland’s international profile and supporting local businesses and communities.
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is equally enthusiastic about welcoming the tournament back.
Mark Maclean, Captain of the Honourable Company, said: “The Honourable Company very much looks forward to hosting the ISPS HANDA Senior Open at Muirfield in 2028. I know our members, and the wider golfing community, will be delighted to welcome the world’s finest senior golfers as they compete over our famous championship links.”
For the players who arrive in August 2028, the challenge will be to add their names to a distinguished list of Muirfield champions.
Matching Watson’s particular piece of history, however, is another matter entirely.
