Women golfers could be allowed to play at the Open Championship if the removal of a decades-old ban goes ahead, it emerged today.
Under current rules, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) only accepts applications to play in the Open from “any male professional golfer or from a male amateur golfer”. This stipulation is unique in the world of top-class golf and had led to the view that the R&A, golf’s governing body, is a bastion of sex discrimination.
But Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, today told a national newspaper that he would back a change to the Open’s entry form which would allow top women golfers such as Annika Sorenstam and American teenager Michelle Wie to compete in the world’s most famous golf tournament.
“That wording was put in place at a time when it was never thought that women would want to enter,” he said. “If it is offensive to people then we will take it out. The R&A is not in the business of keeping women out of the Open.”
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Mr Dawson insisted the change did not herald an age when the Open would become a “dual sex” event.
He said the entry form for the 2005 Open had already been printed but a modified form would be available in time for the 2006 event, once approved by the club’s championship committee.
A spokesman for the R&A said today: “The removal of the ban is under consideration by the championship committee and I have no idea when this is likely to take effect”.
Andy Salmon, the chief executive of the Ladies’ Golf Union, said he would support the R&A if it lifted the ban on women competing in the Open.
“If it really offends people that women are not allowed to play in the Open, then lifting the ban would be a good thing,” he said. “But it doesn’t automatically follow that women will play - they will have to be good enough and the standards are exceptionally high.”
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Mr Salmon also expressed doubt over the concept of women golfers competing against men.
“It’s unlikely that ladies would be able to keep up with the likes of Tiger Woods and for that reason, we would want to preclude men from playing in ladies’ competitions,” he said.