Royal Troon has very smartly brought forward a vote on allowing women full membership of the club to host this year’s 145th Open Championship.
The club will host a special general meeting on July 1, less than a fortnight before the 2016 Open begins, to consider whether to change its policy, which currently bars women from joining.
“Following our consultation with members, the committee of the Royal Troon Golf Club is moving to convene a special general meeting … at which we will propose that the constitution of the club is changed to allow women members to join on exactly the same basis as the men,” Royal Troon captain Martin Cheyne said in the statement.
Royal Troon to now vote on July 1st, and 10 days prior to this year’s Open Championship to allow women members. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
This news comes a fortnight after the backlash the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers voted not to allow women to become members of Muirfield.
It immediately prompted the R & A, as organisers of golf’s oldest major to drop Muirfield from the Open Championship rota.
Royal Troon indicated more than three-quarters of its members who responded to a consultation supported opening the club to women.
“Recently we spoke about the need for our club to reflect the modern society in which we exist, and I am pleased that a large majority of members who responded to our survey agree,” Cheyne said.
“We want Scotland to be proud of Royal Troon Golf Club and the Ladies’ Golf Club, Troon, as we jointly host this most prestigious competition in front of a worldwide audience.”
