PREPARATIONS are under way to make the Women’s Open at Muirfield “the best ever”.

History will be made when female golfing stars from across the globe take on the Major on the Gullane course for the first time.

Action at the tournament, which is being played in Scotland for the third year in a row, will tee off on Thursday, August 4, before a winner is crowned on the Sunday.

Stuart McEwen, club secretary at Muirfield, was already looking forward to the tournament.

He said: “Once it was confirmed that the club would be hosting The Women’s Open this year, we got together a championship committee to focus on preparations for the championship.

“We have got three of our women members involved, which is great.

“We have been working heavily on what preparations are necessary and we have been working with The R&A and met with the team responsible for the championship three or four times now.

“The preparations are going really well and we are looking to involve all of our women members in the event.”

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The hosting of the event marks a significant step, after a vote was taken to allow women to become members of the club in March 2017. Two years later, women were invited to join the world-famous Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield for the first time.

The milestone means the venue remains under consideration for the men’s Open Championship, which it last held in 2013, when Phil Mickelson won by three strokes from Henrik Stenson.

Representatives from the Gullane club visited Carnoustie last year to take in the 2021 AIG Women’s Open there.

On that occasion, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist emerged victorious by one stroke from compatriot Madelene Sagstrom, England’s Georgia Hall and the USA’s Lizette Salas.

Mr McEwen described it as “really fantastic to watch and marvel at how good the professionals are”.

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He added: “The game is getting stronger and stronger.

“The sponsor, AIG, is a major player and they have invested heavily in women’s golf and sport in general.

“It was an incredible championships and we are really looking forward to it. Our objective is to make it the best ever – that is what we are working towards.”

Tickets for the 2022 tournament went on sale in November, with entrants looking to follow in the footsteps of three-time winners Sherri Steinhauer and and Karrie Webb.

England’s Georgia Hall was the last British winner of the competition, enjoying success at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018 – nine years after North Berwick’s Catriona Matthew won at the same venue.

Mr McEwen was hopeful the holding of the competition at Muirfield for the first time would have a lasting legacy.

He said: “We are delighted to be hosting the 2022 Women’s Open Championship and look forward to welcoming the world’s finest female golfers to Muirfield.

“We hope to play a small part in a brilliant championship that will inspire a future generation of women golfers.”