St. Andrews Set for Historic Vote


The members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, an all-male bastion since its founding 260 years ago, are voting Thursday on whether to admit women members. For the first time in history the club is allowing its 2,500 worldwide members to vote by proxy.

Coincidentally, the club's vote comes on the day Scotland residents cast their ballots on whether it should become a country independent of England.

"I think it's the right thing," R&A club secretary Peter Dawson said during its spring meeting in May, "and I hope that R&A members do what's right for golf."

Dawson later noted, "We wouldn't be entering this if we didn't feel there was strong member support for it."

A favorable vote would go into effect immediately. The R&A is expected to confirm the vote Thursday night. "To make it appear more inclusive, the R&A really needs to have women members. I think it's about time for golf," 45-year-old Scotswoman, Catriona Matthew, told BBC Sport.

"We would hope to have a meaningful number of women become members in a reasonable time scale," the club said in a statement. "The first women members are likely to have made a significant contribution to the development of our sport."

Many observers - both within and outside of golf - have considered the R&A's all-male membership policy outdated and no longer relevant in contemporary society.

The organization, along with the United States Golf Association, is responsible for making and administering the rules of golf worldwide. The R&A also oversees the annual Open Championship in the U.K., one of the game's four major championships.