The R&A Miss A Trick

The R&A have been keeping a low profile of late – first the decision over TV rights for The Open Championship, and then the recent announcement of which women would become the first members of the organisation. Just your average fortnight, then!

It’s the end of one era and the beginning of another, but whilst the former decision undoubtedly created a lot of anger and discontent, the latter was long overdue in coming.

Understandably, the list of new female R&A members was never going to err on the side of controversy, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a mischievous part of me that wondered whether the old boys from St. Andrews have missed a trick. HRH Princess Anne, Dame Laura Davies, Annika Sorenstam et al, were all safe and very deserved invitees, but given the well documented state of golf these days, couldn’t the R&A have chosen some alternative names that might energise a new generation towards the game?

I give you some alternative suggestions…

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta

Didn’t think that name would mean much to you (I had to look it up too), but if I mentioned the name she was more commonly known by i.e. Lady Gaga, I’m sure you’d know who I’m referring to. Admittedly, the American singers golfing prowess is largely unknown, but things she would bring to the table undoubtedly include a shake up to golf club dress codes, and a twitter following in excess of 44million (isn’t social media at the heart of everything these days?). She’s even produced a jazz album with Tony Bennett, so perhaps would appeal to your more traditional golf club member, too.

Emma Watson

Young, talented, British, and the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador that launched the HeForShe campaign (calling for men to advocate gender equality) – could there have been a better candidate for R&A membership if they were really serious about welcoming women into the game? The other string to her bow – anyone that can help bring the fictitious game of Quidditch into popular culture is surely capable of putting some magic back into golf participation.

Mary Berry

The R&A missed a trick here – and could’ve easily killed two birds with one stone courtesy of Mary Berry. Firstly, embracing a popular figure of Britain as the face of golf for all ages, and secondly (and where the real gold is), satisfying the need of those demanding golf on terrestrial TV – the BBC would’ve wasted no time at all in commissioning Mary to run a spin off reality series of the Great British Tee Off. Everyone’s a winner – the BBC, the R&A, and the terrestrial TV watching British public!

Karren Brady

Sooner or later the R&A, you would think, are going to be forced into having women in more prominent positions of power too, so who better than ‘The First Lady of Football’? Having succeeded in the masculine dominated environment of football, Karren Brady is well versed in ruffling the feathers of senior organisations, and I doubt she’d stand for any antiquated ideas at the R&A.

Now that would be one heck of a fourball!