HRH Princess Anne along with Britain’s greatest-ever woman golfer, Dame Laura Davies and 10-time Major winning Annika Sorenstram Sweden’s are among seven women to take up Honorary Membership of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R &A).
The trio have been joined by American Renee Powell, the first woman to be a head professional at a golf course in the UK, prolific amateur winning Belle Robertson of Scotland, French golfing great Lally Segard and Britain’s Louise Suggs, who was co-founder and President of the LPGA.
It was late last year when in a historic vote the general membership of the St. Andrews-based R & A voted overwhelming to allow women members and with Membership Committee agreeing to an initial intake of 15 women as ordinary members
Laura Davies creates history becoming one of seven women to become the first honorary members of the R & A.
However the selection of the seven are as honorary members and with the R & A still to keep confidential, as it does with male members, the selection of any females as ordinary members.
“This is an historic day for the Club and we could not be more proud also to welcome who, who apart from the Princess Royal, have distinguished themselves in golf over many years and have been great players and champions,” said R & A CEO Peter Dawson.
“The reaction I have received from some of the seven ladies is that they are absolutely thrilled to be asked and very quick to say ‘yes’ as no one turned down the invitation.
“So that has been very heartening for the R & A and the ordinary members so they are each very pleased with the process and delighted to be coming to the R & A Golf Club as honorary members given all its history and position in the game.
“So it’s all been very positive and they can visit the club whenever they wish as they will now be a part of the club’s spring and autumn golf meetings, while they may choose to come to the Open Championship later this year.
“So the process of bringing women members into the R & A club has begun in earnest.
“And this process is no different to the selection of male honorary members.”
Princess Anne becomes the fourth member of the Royal Family to become an honorary member and joining her father, the Duke of Edinburgh, her brother the Duke of York and the Duke of Kent.
“The Princess Royal has strong sporting and Scottish connections and is Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union along with being a past Olympian and a member of the International Olympic Committee,” said Dawson.
However Dawson indicated that the remaining six women, who will form part of the initial intake of female R & A honorary members will come also from current non-Tour competing women golfers, and despite Davies still competing on the Ladies European Tour.
“If you look back at the history of the R & A and we have always tended not to appoint honorary members at the peak of their time,” he added.
“It is usually towards the end of their careers and near retirement though Laura might argue with me over that.”
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