Martin Slumbers has announced he will step down as chief executive of the R&A and secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews by the end of 2024.
Slumbers will oversee The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the return of the AIG Women’s Open to St Andrews and the 43rd Curtis Cup match at Sunningdale before relinquishing his role later this year.
The 63-year-old has held the positions since replacing Peter Dawson in 2015 and has been involved in key developments in the sport, while the R&A confirmed an “executive search firm has been appointed to assist in the search for his successor”.
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Highlights from the final round of the 151st The Open championship from the Royal Liverpool Golf Club
“It has been a privilege to serve golf at the highest level,” Slumbers said. “It is a role that I have been proud to carry out on behalf of the R&A’s employees, the members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and all our global partners.
“In any career, there is a time to allow the next generation to have its turn. I am grateful to have had the honour, for nearly a decade, to have been the custodian of all that the R&A and the game of golf more broadly represents.”
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Slumbers was involved in the 2019 modernisation of the Rules of Golf, the roll-out of the World Handicap System in 2020 and the Distance Insights process, plus led a modernisation of the governing bodies’ activities – including the merger with the Ladies’ Golf Union.
Niall Farquharson, chairman of the R&A said, “In Martin [Slumbers], we have been fortunate to have a CEO who has steered the organisation through a period of growth and enhanced the profile and reputation of our sport to make it more accessible, appealing and inclusive.
“Through his stature and influence in the world of golf and sport more widely and in growing the proceeds of The Open to invest back into the game, he has been true to The R&A’s purpose of golf thriving 50 years from now and has shown transformational leadership.
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“He speaks often of reflecting history in a modern way and that will be his legacy to the R&A and to the club.”
Slumbers was involved in the project to create the ground-breaking new golf facility, ‘Golf It!’ in Glasgow. He also supported the launch of the G4D Open for the world’s most talented golfers with disabilities, while 2024 will see a new Africa Amateur Championship join elite amateur events in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
Watch The Open, AIG Women’s Open and Curtis Cup this summer live on Sky Sports. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour without a contract with NOW.