Hull shines light on Tokyo after Muirfield's about-face

The East Lothian course was immediately removed from the Open Championship rota after a first vote narrowly failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required in May last year.

However, Henry Fairweather, the captain of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers which owns and runs Muirfield, announced on Tuesday that the rule change had been passed by 498 votes to 123 after a second ballot, with 80.2 per cent of members in favour.

And that decision was swiftly followed by one from the R&A which means Muirfield, which has hosted the Open 16 times, will again be eligible to stage the sport’s oldest major.

Hull said: “I think it’s good that they’ve changed their minds.

“I’m happy it has changed. You never know, the Women’s British Open could be played there one day now. I’d play there. I don’t have to go into the clubhouse. A golf course is a golf course to me.”

Hull, who finished two shots off a bronze medal at last August’s Olympics in Rio, also called for change at the Tokyo 2020 golf venue. The nominated course for the Games, the Kasumigaseki Country Club, currently does not permit full women members, with women barred from playing on Sundays.

The International Olympic Committee has suggested it would demand a change in venue unless there is gender equality.

Hull said: “Hopefully now golf is in the Olympics, if they want to have a place as an Olympic venue, they’ve got to change.”

Danny Willett withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday, just three weeks before the defence of his Masters title at Augusta National.

Willett pulled out due to illness and was replaced in the field by American Blayne Barber.

The 29-year-old wrote on Twitter: “Really sad to have to withdraw from the @APinv I’ve been up all night with terrible sickness. Not ideal but felt it worse to take a spot from the first reserve if I wasn’t able to finish.”