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• Dame Laura Davies made member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club
• Lynx Golf CFO Zinser welcomes decision but blasts “appallingly slow” R&A
• Hopes new culture of equality can help “grow the game”

LYNX GOLF | LAURA DAVIES

Lynx Golf chief financial officer Stephanie Zinser has welcomed the decision to appoint Dame Laura Davies as one of the first women members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, but blasted the R&A for being “appallingly slow” in doing so.

Davies, 51, a four-time major winner and arguably England’s greatest female professional golfer, signed a three-year deal with equipment manufacturer Lynx Golf in January and is still seeking to add to her 84 worldwide professional titles.

On the announcement last week, Zinser said: “We are absolutely delighted that the R&A has recognised Laura’s contribution to the game of golf by making her one of their first women members after 260 years of being a male-only association.

“She has been the leading light in the women’s game in the UK, is recognised the world over, and fully deserves this recognition.

“Although, I feel obliged to say as the female owner of a golf equipment manufacturer, that the R&A has been appallingly slow in ending its male-only membership policy.”

The R&A only voted in September 2014 to end the policy, with nearly 2,000 of the club’s 2,400 members taking part in a ballot, of which 85% voted to allow women members.

Lynx Golf Laura Davies

Along with Davies, a lynchpin of a record 12 Solheim Cup appearances, others who accepted invitations to become honorary members of the club were Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, Renee Powell, Belle Robertson MBE, Lally Segard, Annika Sorenstam and Louise Suggs.

Zinser now hopes the move can help to improve and develop the game.

She said: “One can only hope that the new culture of equality, accessibility and fairness within the R&A will spread and help us all to grow the game of golf because, frankly, they’ve been failing in these obligations with their outdated and sexist past policies.”

Lynx Golf, founded in 1971, has a strong tradition with ladies’ golf and is the fastest-growing equipment brand in the sport. Lynx is dedicated in supporting ‘green grass’ pro shop business with more than 500 house accounts in the UK.

For more information, visit the Lynx Golf website or follow @LynxGolfUK on Twitter.

Lynx Golf ambassador Laura Davies becomes a member of the Royal & Ancient GC :: Your thoughts

Do you agree with Lynx Golf CFO Stephanie Zinser that the R&A have been too slow in making this decision? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.

 

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