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• Nicola Sturgeon to snub the Open, bunkered.co.uk understands
• This is due to Royal Troon’s male-only membership policy
• Royal Troon has a ladies’ club situated right next to the men’s

NICOLA STURGEON | THE OPEN | ROYAL TROON | THE R&A

bunkered.co.uk understands that the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, may snub this year’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in light of ongoing controversy surrounding the club’s membership policy.

Currently on the campaign trail ahead of next week’s Scottish Parliamentary elections, we are told that the First Minister said that it was ‘unacceptable’ for anywhere in Scotland to be off-limits to women.

Our source told us it was possible that Nicola Sturgeon may follow the lead of her predecessor Alex Salmond in boycotting golf’s oldest professional tournament this year. Salmond elected not to attend the 2013 championship at Muirfield in protest at the male-only policy of the host club, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

It is understood that a vote to welcome women into the fold of the East Lothian venue may be imminent. Should it pass, the club would follow the example of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Royal St George’s, two other Open host venues which have, in recent times, become mixed membership clubs.

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Last year, Royal Troon began a ‘comprehensive review to consider the most appropriate membership policy for the future”.

It is believed that it considers itself to be a ‘special case’ in so much as it shares facilities with the Ladies Golf Club, Troon. The two clubs are sharing the responsibility of hosting this year’s Open via a joint championship committee.

There is no indication that the matter will be resolved – and the two clubs merged – before this year’s championship takes place.

bunkered.co.uk has, this afternoon, attempted to contact the First Minister’s office for comment or clarification on these reports. However, by the time we published this story, we had not received a reply.

Nicola Sturgeon to snub Royal Troon :: Your thoughts

What do you make of the news that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will give the Open a miss this July due to the club’s male-only membership policy? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

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