The traditional links courses find spots of honor on this ranking of the best classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland.
Welcome to Golfweek’s Best 2023 rankings of the Top 50 classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland – built before 1960 – as determined by Golfweek’s Best raters.
The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings on each course are averaged to produce a final rating for each course. Then each layout is ranked against others in Great Britain and Ireland to produce the final rankings.
Ashleigh Buhai claimed the first-place prize of $1,095,000 at Muirfield.
It’s been a banner year for prize money in LPGA majors.
Jennifer Kupcho earned $750,000 for winning the first LPGA major of 2022, the Chevron Championship, the only major first-place prize that did not exceed $1 million this season.
Minjee Lee won the 77th U.S. Women’s Open to claim the biggest prize, banking $1.8 million for her dominating performance at Pine Needles Golf & Country Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Even runner-up Mina Harigae took home seven figures.
In Gee Chun, runner-up at the AIG Women’s British Open, pocketed $1,350,000 for winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
At the Amundi Evian Championship, Brooke Henderson made $1 million for winning her second career major. She won $525,000 when she won her first major six years ago.
South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai claimed the first-place prize of $1,095,000 after becoming the first woman to win a professional title at historic Muirfield. The 33-year-old has now earned $3,503,926 on the LPGA over the course of her 12-year career.
Take a look at the complete money list from the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open.
If an LPGA victory felt like a long time coming for Buhai, consider that women have waited centuries for this.
During a practice round at Muirfield, Ashleigh Buhai pulled up a YouTube video of Ernie Els’ magnificent bunker shot on the par-3 13th from his victory 20 years ago for inspiration. One day, a young South African will do the same to Buhai after she pulled off a sensational bunker save of her own on the fourth playoff hole to win the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open over three-time major winner In Gee Chun.
If an LPGA victory felt like a long time coming for Buhai – 221 starts over the span of a dozen years – consider that women have waited centuries for this opportunity.
In 2019, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers invited its first female members in the club’s 275-year history. That only came after the R&A took the iconic course off the men’s British Open rota after a 2016 membership vote to bring women in failed to reach the two-thirds required. A re-vote in 2017 pushed it through.
Buhai became the third South African to win a British Open at Muirfield, joining her heroes Els and Gary Player, who won in 1959. While this marked the first women’s professional event ever held at Muirfield, the men have staged 16 British Opens at the historic club, dating back to 1892.
Buhai joins a storied list of Muirfield champions that includes Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon and Phil Mickelson.
“For me to be a female South African and a major winner,” said Buhai. “I’ve got no words, it’s life-changing.”
Buhai took a commanding five-shot lead into the final round after carding 30 and 31 on the front nine in the second and third rounds, respectively.
After Buhai rifled a 3-wood into the green on the par-4 first hole Sunday and converted a 6-footer for par, she looked in control on a blustery day in East Lothian.
It all seemed to unravel in a flash, however, late on the back nine.
Standing on the 15th tee, Buhai held a three-shot lead when her worst drive of the week found a poor lie in a fairway bunker. A rushed second shot out sideways went long into the fescue and it was a tangled mess from there, with a late triple-bogey bringing a host of players back in the fray.
“You know, it was very easy to panic and probably come home in an ambulance,” said Buhai, who told herself internally to get back in it.
Buhai ultimately closed with a 75, while Chun shot 70 to leave the pair knotted at 10 under for the tournament, one better than 2019 AIG champion Hinako Shibuno. It marked the first playoff at the British Open in three decades.
Ashleigh Buhai plays her third shot from the bunker on the 18th hole in the playoff after the following round of the 2022 AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield in Scotland. (Photo: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
The pair traded sudden-death blows down the 18thfour times, with the Muirfield clubhouse providing a dramatic backdrop. The closing hole played the hardest on the course for three straight days, and after Chun found a fairway bunker the fourth time down, Buhai faced a daunting greenside bunker shot as daylight dwindled.
“Show them why you’re No. 1 in bunkers this year,” encouraged her caddie, Tanya Paterson.
Buhai hit a beauty, and after Chun knocked in a bogey putt, the stage was set for the 33-year-old former South African prodigy to etch her name into history.
“I think I did what I can do,” said Chun, who was vying to become the eighth player in LPGA history to win four different majors. She’ll have to wait until 2023 for her next attempt.
Leona Maguire, the first Irishwoman to win on the LPGA, carded the day’s lowest round, a bogey-free 66, to vault into a share of fourth.
Rose Zhang, the No. 1 amateur in the world,claimed the Smyth Salveras the only amateur to play the weekend at Muirfield. The Stanford star finished 1 over for the tournament in a share of 28th place.
Buhai, née Simon, began playing golf at age 6 and has been the face of women’s golf in South Africa since she was a teenager. The one-time prodigy won the 2004 South African Open at age 14 and led her country to the World Amateur Team Championship title on home soil in 2006, before turning professional the following year.
Buhai met her husband, David, at a golf academy in Johannesburg and the couple began dating long distance 15 years ago. After Buhai’s caddie suffered a broken leg, David took a leave from the shoe store and never went back, working for Ashleigh right up until they got married, when he picked up another bag.
Why the sudden change?
“Some people say it might be good to stay married,” Ashleigh once joked.
David, who now caddies for Jeongeun Lee6, was on the 18th sweating every shot during the playoff and raced onto the green when his wife sealed the championship with the up-and-down of her life.
“In this championship in 2019 at Woburn,” said Ashleigh, “he missed the cut and he was carrying a backpack around full of beers to keep himself calm.
“It’s always harder for those watching.”
Coming into this week, Buhai had only one top-five finish in 42 majors starts and that came three years ago at the AIG, when she was paired with eventual winner Shibuno in the final round. Four of the last five British Open champions, including Shibuno, have made this event their first LPGA title.
Buhai became the second South African woman to win a major, joining Sally Little (1980 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, 1988 du Maurier Classic). Seven South African men have won majors.
Back in February, Buhai began working with sports psychologist Duncan McCarthy, and their time together has been game-changing for the LPGA veteran. Buhai said she’s been swinging good for some time but couldn’t keep herself in the moment.
That certainly wasn’t the case this week.
“I’m just so proud of how I’ve stuck it out,” said Buhai of the expectations she has carried for decades.
“I have said the last four or five years, I’ve finally started to find my feet on the LPGA and felt I could compete, and although I’m 33 now, I feel I’m playing the best golf of my career.
“It’s been a long journey, but man, it’s all worth it right now.”
“I feel like I have so many options that I can go either way.”
Rose Zhang joins an impressive list of players who have won the Smyth Salver for low amateur at the AIG Women’s British Open. Former winners include major champions Michelle Wie West (2005), Anna Nordqvist (2008), Danielle Kang (2011), Lydia Ko (2012, 2013) and Georgia Hall (2013).
England’s Hall, of course, went on to win the British Open title as a young professional five years later.
Zhang, 19, was the only amateur who made the cut at Muirfield, finishing 1 over for the championship. The world’s top-ranked amateur missed the cut last year at Carnoustie in her only other British Open appearance. Last year’s conditions, she said, came as a bit of a shock to her.
“You really can’t falter at all on this golf course,” said Zhang. “Not on links golf, anyway. It was just that mindset of really hitting shot after shot and staying determined and just going for it.”
Rose Zhang of United States plays her tee shot on the 12th hole during Day Three of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 06, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Zhang has all but officially locked up the McCormack Medal for a third time with second-ranked Ingrid Lindblad missing the cut. Neither are in the field for next week’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Chambers Bay, the final week of competition before the cutoff.
After 10 days at home, Zhang heads back to Europe to represent the U.S. at the World Amateur Team Championship in Paris. From there, she heads straight to Pebble Beach for Stanford’s first college event of the season.
When asked about her plans for turning professional, Zhang, who won the individual NCAA title last spring and helped the Cardinal win the team championship, said it’s all up in the air.
“I feel like I have so many options that I can go either way,” she said. “But I think for now, I’m going to go back for my sophomore year and just enjoy another great year with my teammates.”
Buhai called her round Saturday, “one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played.”
Twenty years ago, Ashleigh Buhai’s childhood hero, Ernie Els, won the British Open at Muirfield. That victory came not long after Buhai met Els for the first time at the 1998 South African Open. She bought the life-sized poster she kept in her bedroom there for him to sign.
South Africa legend Gary Player, who won the British Open at Muirfield in 1959, left her a message on Saturday morning.
Now Buhai, a 33-year-old who joined the LPGA in 2008, has the chance to follow in their footsteps at the historic club, where she has a five-stroke lead heading into the final round of the AIG Women’s British Open.
“Obviously I’m very pleased,” said Buhai, who shot 64 with a bogey on the last hole to finish at 14 under for the championship.
“To be able to I think shoot that score in those conditions, you have to be able to pat yourself on the back; so much so that I thought I was 6 under, not seven, so I was 8 under playing the last, which I think I have to look back is probably one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played.”
Buhai has 12 career top 10s on the LPGA, no victories and is currently ranked 84th in the world. She found herself in three divots on a windy Saturday in Gullane and never missed a beat. When she missed her first green on the back nine on the par-5 17th, Buhai chipped in for birdie.
Relentless.
Ashleigh Buhai chips in for an eighth birdie of the day 🤯
“I was feeling pretty calm,” she said. “I’ve done good work on my swing with my coach for so long now, and I feel my lines are where they need to be and I just need to keep my tempo. If I keep my tempo, then most of the time it tends to fall. The club tends to fall where it needs to fall.”
Still, Buhai knows that if she has posted such low scores in trying conditions, that means someone else can, too.
American Sherri Steinhauer came from four strokes back to win this championship in 1998, as did Se Ri Pak in 2001, the largest comebacks since records were kept.
The largest comeback in overall LPGA major championship history is seven strokes, and it’s happened on three occasions: Patty Sheehan, 1983 KPMG Women’s PGA; Karrie Webb, 2006 Chevron; and Minjee Lee, 2021 Amundi Evian.
Here are five players to keep an eye on for a Sunday charge:
“I played okay, I didn’t embarrass myself off the first tee.”
Lindsey Garden made history on Saturday when she became the first female member of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers to tee it up in the AIG Women’s British Open. Keep in mind that the club dates back to 1744 and welcomed its first group of female members in 2019.
This marks the first Women’s British Open ever held at the iconic Muirfield. There have been 16 men’s British Opens staged at Muirfield, dating back to 1892.
With an odd number of players making the cut, Garden got the call to tee off as a marker at 10 a.m. local time alongside Lydia Hall of Wales. Garden plays off a handicap index of 1.6.
“I played okay,” said Garden. “I didn’t embarrass myself off the first tee, almost got on the green at the first, so three-putted as usual but no, it was good. I struck the ball nicely. Putting could have been better.”
Garden grew up in Tain and represented Scotland on a number of occasions as a top-level amateur. She also spent time caddying on the DP World Tour.
“It’s fantastic,” said Garden when asked about her historic membership.
“So I’ve been a member a year, and it’s just been a great year because since I’ve been a member with knowing we’re hosting the AIG Women’s Open and it’s been lots of prep for that. And there’s been some really fun stuff around that media days and just some interviews with various media people talking about what is it like to be a woman member at Muirfield, it’s the same as it is for a man. We’re equal.”
“It’s pretty cool to be able to play well for the first two rounds here and try to follow in his footsteps.”
During a practice round at Muirfield, South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai found herself pulling up a YouTube video of Ernie Els’ magnificent bunker shot on the 13th hole. Els was Buhai’s hero growing up, and she wanted to relive his greatest shot en route to victory at the British Open 20 years ago.
The 2022 AIG Women’s British Open marks the first time that professional women have had the chance to compete at historic Muirfield, host of 16 men’s British Opens. Buhai now lives full-time in Florida and has had the chance to play several rounds with Els when not on the road, though she didn’t get the chance to ask him about Muirfield.
Buhai led by three strokes after two rounds at Woburn in 2019 and now finds herself tied with Madelene Sagstrom at 7 under, one back of leader In Gee Chun.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to play well for the first two rounds here,” said Buhai, “and try to follow in his footsteps.”
A three-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, the 33-year-old Buhai has yet to break through on the LPGA. It looked like she might set a new championship record for a links course after a front-nine 30 that included an eagle on the par-5 fifth. A disappointing par on the par-5 17th, however, followed by a bogey on the 18th, left her with a 6-under 65. Buhai said she would’ve gladly taken that score at the start of the day.
“Super chuffed with how I played today,” she said. “I stayed very patient.”
South Korea’s Chun In-gee plays a shot during her second round 66 on the second day of the 2022 Women’s British Open Golf Championship at Muirfield golf course in Gullane, Scotland, on August 5, 2022. (Photo by NEIL HANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
South Korea’s Chun recently won the KPMG Women’s PGA for her third different major title. Should she claim the AIG Women’s British, she’d have four of the five major titles, only missing the Chevron Championship (thus it would be a career grand slam in the eyes of the LPGA).
Chun shot 66 on Friday and said that a bet she had with caddie Dean Herden helped her to stay focused.
“If I make the bogey-free round,” she said, “he said he’s going to buy dinner and pay me like $100 for each day if I can make it.”
Chun has recorded one bogey each day so far but enjoys the challenge of making Herden pay.
Sagstrom, who finished runner-up last year at Carnoustie, said she has only recently begun to enjoy links golf.
“It was hate at first sight,” she said. “Mega hate at first sight. I remember particularly well we played a British Am in Wales and the weather was horrendous and I couldn’t keep the ball low to save my life. I figured it out from there. This is my sixth season as a pro, so it’s taken me a little bit of time.”
Sagstrom recorded eight birdies in her second-round 65, including a couple on the last two holes.
Speaking of coming in hot, Australia’s Hannah Green birdied four of the last five holes to rocket up the board with a 66. She’s three back with Japan’s Miyu Yamashita.
Inbee Park of Korea Republic plays her tee shot on the 12th hole during Day Two of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 05, 2022, in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
Seven-time major winner Inbee Park is alone in fourth at 6 under. Park last won a major at the 2015 AIG Women’s British Open at Turnberry.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been striking the ball so well … just all year this year,” said Park, “but my putter has been just not good at all. A lot of three-putts and just missing every single opportunity on the green.”
But that changed this week, which should sound the alarm for everyone within shouting distance of the lead at Muirfield.
World No. 2 Minjee Lee, winner of two of the last six majors, is four back and has a chance to move to No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings for the first time with a victory at Muirfield after Jin Young Ko missed the cut.
Lee also could rise to No. 1 with a solo-second finish, should No. 3 Nelly Korda finish solo-third or worse.
No Aussie has been No. 1 since the rankings debuted in February 2006. South Korea’s Ko has been ranked No. 1 for 27 consecutive weeks dating to January 31, 2022. She’s been No. 1 for a total of 133 weeks in her career.
No Australian has been No. 1 since the rankings began in 2006.
Minjee Lee has dominated the majors of late, winning two of the last six with two additional top-5s. Coming into the second round of the AIG Women’s Open, the Aussie was a combined 58 under par since the 2021 Amundi Evian, 22 strokes better than the next player, Georgia Hall.
On Friday at Muirfield, Lee added a 1-under 70 to move to 4 under and take a share of the mid-day clubhouse lead with France’s Celine Boutier.
Currently No. 2 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Lee has a chance to move to No. 1 for the first time with a victory at Muirfield, with Jin Young Ko likely missing the cut at 5 over. Lee also could rise to No. 1 with a solo-second finish, should Ko finish 54th or worse and No. 3 Nelly Korda finish solo-third or worse.
No Aussie has been No. 1 since the rankings debuted in February 2006. South Korea’s Ko has been ranked No. 1 for 27 consecutive weeks dating to Jan. 31, 2022. She’s been No. 1 a total of 133 weeks in her career.
The laid-back Lee seems to take it all in stride.
“I definitely know where I am on the leaderboard playing,” said Lee. “I try not to think too much about the other stuff. I’m still the same person. I’m still going to, I hit a little white golf ball around a field. That’s always been my mindset, and whatever comes with it I’m going to embrace it and be the best person that I can be.”
Lee, 26, hit 14 greens in regulation Friday and took 32 putts. She carded 15 pars on the day.
An eight-time winner on the LPGA, Lee leads the tour in scoring (69.17), money ($3,426,980) and CME points. A two-time winner this season, she has three additional top-3 finishes.
The top three players in the world spent the day making history at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open.
The top three players in the world spent the day making history together at Muirfield as the first women’s professional event ever held at the iconic links course got underway. World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Minjee Lee and No. 3 Nelly Korda teed off in the afternoon local time at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open, the final major of the year.
Two-time major winner Minjee Lee put up the best score in the group, a 3-under 68 that included a back-nine 32 and a chip-in on the 14th. Lee sits in a share of fifth, three shots back of leader Hinako Shibuno.
“I made really quite a few good up-and-downs on the back nine,” said the Aussie, “and to be 3 under the back nine, I think is quite good considering like 14 and 15, they play really tough.”
Lee hasn’t finished outside the top 11 in her last four appearances in the British Open. She took 27 putts on the day.
Korda’s 1-under 70 included two birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth. She’s six back of Shibuno and five back of big sister Jessica. The Olympic gold medalist hit seven fairways and 14 greens.
“I mean, I was hitting it good,” said Korda. “I was getting some unfortunate breaks in the bunkers. I was actually hitting it really decent out of those lies. I just couldn’t make the par putts after, which obviously that’s probably even more frustrating than probably having like a 20-footer for par and missing that.”
Nelly Korda tees off on the 13th hole during Day One of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 04, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Jin Young Ko last missed a cut in a major at the 2018 British Open. She’ll have her work cut out on Friday to keep that streak alive. Ko sits in a share of 106th after an opening 76 that included only one birdie. Ko last competed in the British Open in 2019 and has two top-three finishes in the event. She hit only four fairways on the day and nine greens.
“We’re not familiar with having to see her work this hard on a golf course,” said former British Open champion and on-course commentator Karen Stupples.
Hinako Shibuno enjoyed a fairytale start at the AIG Women’s British Open, shooting a 65 at historic Muirfield.
Hinako Shibuno, a player known as the Smiling Cinderella, enjoyed a fairytale start at the 2022 AIG Women’s British Open. The Japanese superstar birdied the first three holes en route to a 6-under 65 at historic Muirfield, where the best female professionals are competing for the first time.
Shibuno told media after the round that her goal for the week was to be friends with the wind. The 2019 Women’s Open champion won her major at Woburn, a parkland course in England, in her first time competing outside of her native Japan. The next year Shibuno got her first taste of Scottish links golf in back-to-back weeks.
“Two years ago, when we were playing at the Royal Troon,” she said, “the wind completely overtook my shots. I wasn’t thinking about how to use this to my advantage. However, this tournament I could adapt my style to the elements. I imagined my swing, if the wind was coming from the right, I could play by feel how far from the pin I needed to aim for.”
Shibuno, 23, holds a one-shot lead over American Jessica Korda, who has borrowed clothes all week thanks to lost luggage. Korda, one of the best players on tour without a major title, finished a career-best runner-up to Jennifer Kupcho earlier this year at the Chevron Championship.
Even Shibuno said she was slightly “frightened” by how well she played in the opening round, give her recent form. She has three missed cuts and a withdrawal in her last four starts on the LPGA. Shibuno credited Thursday’s fine performance to her caddie, who suggested a slight adjustment in her balance on the greens.
Catriona Matthew, Louise Duncan and Sophia Schubert interact on the 18th green following their round during Day One of the AIG Women’s Open at Muirfield on August 04, 2022 in Gullane, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Louise Duncan, the 22-year-old Scot who finished 10th last year at Carnoustie and made her professional debut last week at the Trust Golf Scottish Open, carded a 67 to share third with Mexico’s Gaby Lopez.
“Sounds weird but I breathed quite well today,” said Duncan, who has learned new techniques from her caddie and coach Dean Robertson, a former DP World Tour winner.
“Just try to keep it relaxed. I get a bit uptight. Because I want to hold it so badly.”
Duncan teed off in the first group with fellow Scot Catriona Matthew, who hit the historic first tee shot at 6:30 a.m.
Muirfield has played hosted to 16 men’s British Opens, and a young Matthew picked up trash and worked as a walking scorer at several of the championships near her North Berwick home growing up.
Unfortunately, double-bogeys on Nos. 1 and 10 kept the local legend from getting in the mix after an opening 76.
“It was out there I think for the taking this morning,” said Matthew. “Even though it was wet for our first few, the wind is certainly less than it’s been the last two days.”
The top three players in the world were grouped together and had mixed results: Jin Young Ko (76), Minjee Lee (68) and Nelly Korda (70).
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, winner of the recent Amundi Evian Championship, bogeyed the last hole to shoot 70. Earlier in the week she called Muirfield her favorite links course yet.
“I was so soaked after my warmup,” said Henderson, “but was really happy when the sun came out and definitely made a difference in the temperature, too. Very windy and the scores are showing that it’s tough.”
