St. Andrews Invites Seven Female Members to Join the Club


Louise Suggs, Annika Sorenstam, Laura Davies, Renee Powell, Lally Segard, Belle Robertson and Princess Anne have been invited to join the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews as honorary members.

It was only last Septembers that the members of the historic club voted to end its centuries-old all-male policy.

George Macgregor, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club's captain, said in a statement about the septet: "This is an historic day for the club and we could not be more proud also to welcome women who have distinguished themselves in golf over many years and have been great players and champions. They are extremely worthy additions to our roll of honorary members and will become ambassadors for the club as they have been for the sport of golf throughout their careers."

Suggs, now 91, is a founding member of the LPGA Tour and an 11-time major winner. She was friends with Bobby Jones, one of the most revered figures in the game and a founder of the Augusta National Golf Club, site of the Masters Tournament.

Sorenstam, a 10-time major winner from Sweden who now resides in Florida, called St. Andrews' decision "a big step in women's golf." On Twitter, the 44-year-old, who retired from competitive golf to focus on her family and business interests, added, "I am very honored to be one of the lucky ladies."

The 51-year-old Davies, a native of England, is a four-time major champion who will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame this year. Robertson, 78, was a top Scottish amateur in the 1960s, '70s and '80s and played on seven Curtis Cup teams for Great Britain and Ireland, and captained the side twice.

Powell, 68, was the first African-American woman to be a Class A member of the PGA of America. For her efforts to bring golf to inner-city kids, Powell - who now owns and operates her family's Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio - was named the PGA of America's First Lady of Golf in 2003.

Princess Anne, the 64-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was a curious choice for an honorary membership given that a quote often attributed to her seems critical of the game: "Golf seems an arduous way to go for a walk. I prefer to take the dogs out."

Mcgregor said of her appointment, "The Princess Royal enjoys a strong bond with Scotland and has shown great energy and commitment to developing sport through her work in the Olympic movement," Macgregor said.

Segard, a 93-year-old Frenchwoman who won 14 tournaments as an amateur, has been a long-time administrator of the International Golf Federation.