There is two decisions of great significance in Scotland tomorrow.
Lost in the ‘Yes/No’ Scotland referendum campaign is the fact that also tomorrow members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R & A) will vote on allowing women to become members of the St. Andrews based club.
However while it more than likely women will be afforded membership the same can’t be said about whether or not Scotland votes to become a republic and split from the United Kingdom.
It will be the first time the R & A is allowing its 2,500 worldwide members to vote by proxy and rather than needing a 75% vote it will be a simple majority that will see women elected to the club, and if so, the first intake will be 15 females.
“I think it’s the right thing, and I hope that R & A members do what’s right for golf,” said R&A club secretary Peter Dawson last May.
Peter Dawson with the Claret Jug and that women will soon get to see in becoming members of the R & A. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
“We wouldn’t be entering this if we didn’t feel there was strong member support for it.”
Dawson indicated also if the vote is ‘Yes’ then it would take effect immediately.
“We would hope to have a meaningful number of women become members in a reasonable time scale,” the club said in a statement.
“The first women members are likely to have made a significant contribution to the development of our sport.”
It has been just over two years since Augusta National announced it had invited women to join for the first time but then there would still be three all-male clubs are on The Open rota – Royal St. George’s, Royal Troon and Muirfield.
Dawson has said the R&A vote will have no bearing on whether the Open is played on those courses and with Royal Troon set to play host to the 2016 Open.
Of course, the new women members would have to be proposed and seconded in the normal manner.
There will be a business meeting at the R & A at 6pm tomorrow and it should be around 30 minutes later that the outcome of the vote will be known whereas the Scottish Referendum outcome could take days.
