The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews is now out on a limb following a decision by Augusta National to allow women to become full members.

The decision to invite Condoleeza Rice and Darla Moore to become members ends 80 long years of discrimination against women joining the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club, and venue each April of the Masters.

It now remains to be seen whether the R & A will follow suit.

And while it took Augusta 80 years to vote for women members, the R & A has been in existence since forming in 1754.

Peter Dawson, CEO of the R & A.

R & A  CEO, Peter Dawson had been asked the situation on female members and responded:  “It is not a life and death situation.  It is a game, after all. People play it and have fun. Men’s and women’s golf coexists extremely well.”

Vivien Saunders, winner of the 1977 Women’s British Open, would dearly love to become the first female member of the R & A.

“Well, if it’s not life-threatening, then why not let us in?” she is reported as once saying.

“There’s nothing in the rules that says you can’t have a camel carrying your clubs when you go out and play, but it wouldn’t be very welcome.”

Saunders has described the R & A as “undemocratic, elitist, discriminatory and secretive.”

“The R & A purports to govern women’s golf without allowing women to belong to it,” she said.

And when Dawson was quizzed 10 years ago on the situation with Martha Burk, and her protest ahead of the 2002 Masters, he is reported as saying:  “I am not going to comment on the situation at Augusta National, that is entirely a matter for them.

“But members of clubs do have the right to associate freely. I understand there is nothing against the law about that and I as I see it, there’s nothing wrong with it.’

“There is actually no particular pressure.

“This is not to be complacent, but there’s no particular pressure from inside of golf about this, but the media clearly have it on their agenda.”

Watch this space as there now should be growing calls in the wake of the Augusta National decision for the R & A to fall in line.