Roundup: R&A Reacts Swiftly To Muirfield Vote, Vows No More Opens Until They Confront Their Issues With Women

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I know this is a serious matter for those seeking gender equity, but how can you not laugh at Muirfield's 33 holdouts? In 2016, voting to keep the club from acknowledging the existence of half the world's population?

Imagine what must have happened to these dinosaurs in boarding school or university to still be holding such resentment all these years later?

Imagine how utterly out of touch one must be to think that stopping a successful woman who loves the game from joining your club because you still think--and put in writing!--that women players are automatically slow by account of their gender.

Or dining in that strange ritual of dandruff coated jacket and grease-stained secret society tie for lunch (between rounds of golf).

Or keeping your course from hosting The Open in your lifetime, which, for most of these prehistoric types, isn't much longer.

All you can do is laugh at them, and be a little sad for East Lothian golf, which may not see The Open for a while.

Martin Dempster with all of the details on Muirfield not securing enough votes to retain 21st century status.

The R&A swiftly declared that Muirfield will not again be considered as a venue for The Open after members voted against allowing women to join the East Lothian club.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A: “The R&A has considered today’s decision with respect to The Open Championship. The Open is one of the world’s great sporting events and going forward we will not stage the Championship at a venue that does not admit women as members.

“Given the schedule for staging The Open, it would be some years before Muirfield would have been considered to host the Championship again. If the policy at the club should change we would reconsider Muirfield as a venue for The Open in future.”

The club’s board had recommended that membership should be offered to women on the same terms as the men.

Of course, this will lead to some fun with Royal Troon this year, which does not admit women into its club. However, and it's a big however: there is a Ladies Golf Club of Royal Troon that has been in existence since 1882 and has a clubhouse overlooking both Troon courses.

Royal Troon, where The Open is being staged this year, is currently undergoing a similar membership review to the one carried out at Muirfield.

The social media reaction has ranged from mocking to praise for the R&A for a swift reaction.

The saddest part of losing Muirfield until the holdouts move on to the Big 18 In The Sky: no more Opens in Scotland's Golf Coast and the best golf region on the planet: East Lothian.

The rota is already well stocked and it certainly wouldn't be hurt by inserting a placeholder like Royal Cinque Ports just to reinforce the message. Architecturally, a case could be made that it's way more interesting than Muirfield, and as Karen Stupples can attest, they have accepted females for some time.

Where Do Golf's Leading Bodies Stand On Trump?

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Forget the question of where you stand on Donald Trump politically--even though most seem to despise the man as he racks up votes and states in the Republican presidential primary.

I'm more interested in knowing if anyone understands where the PGA Tour, USGA, PGA of America and R&A stand with the man.

After all, they joined forces to condemn him last July in a strongly-worded, unprecedented Four-Of-Five Family statement. The PGA Tour continues to signal in roundabout ways that they won't mind the Doral partnership ending this week, though much of that tension may stem from philosophic course setup differences.

Upon consuming some pre-Doral writings and a well-produced TV piece (like the one from Golf Channel hosted by Gary Williams), I'm more confused than ever as to where they all stand on the man. We've heard how he's bad, he's wrong, he's divisive, he's Mussolini, he's...we still kind of like him!

I sense Golf.com's Cameron Morfit has picked up this weird inconsistency, prompting a commentary calling on the tour to cut ties with Trump:

It was only two years ago that the PGA of America swiftly fired President Ted Bishop for calling Ian Poulter a "lil girl" on social media. Compared to Trump's bombast, Bishop's slip-up seems small, but context is everything. Golf was and is in the midst of a reckoning as it deals with declining participation; the sport needs little girls to feel welcome at their local course, not wondering why one of the sport's leaders would use "lil girl" as an insult.

And in Karen Crouse's NY Times analysis of the Trump-golf relationship, there was this from the former Carter Administration member who makes political donations (not that there's anything wrong with that!).

In January, at a tour stop outside Palm Springs., the PGA commissioner, Tim Finchem, was asked about the extent of former President Bill Clinton’s involvement with the event. The Clinton Foundation was one of the sponsors, but Clinton, a tireless promoter of the tournament in recent years, was spending time on the campaign trail with his wife, Hillary Clinton, a front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
“We like to think that presidential politics doesn’t affect the situation here,” Finchem said.

Perhaps with an eye toward defusing any controversy here, Finchem added that the tour and its tournaments were “apolitical” and said, “We’re going to stay that way.”

In golf's leadership world, they're still taking tournaments to his courses and passing opportunities to break free. It's as if they are afraid to say goodbye. And since Mr. Trump could be the Republican nominee and America's next president, you can't blame them for wanting a line to the White House. It's a lot sexier than a line to Mara-a-Lago.

So just admit it Mssrs. Finchem, Bevacqua, Davis and Slumbers: you don't like his comments but also fear getting on Mr. Trump's bad side. Or admit you like his courses and the markets they're in because you're all about the bottom line.

But don't condemn the man and his positions, and then continue to do business with him as he doesn't soften his more controversial stances. That inconsistency brings more shame to the game than taking a traditional stance on such a divisive figure.

R&A Preparing To Punt On A Trump Turnberry Decision?

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Alistair Tait says R&A head honcho Martin Slumbers is meeting with media Monday and may be prepared to announce a 2020 Open Championship venue.

The name in the envelope is unlikely to be Trump Turnberry.

This is fun from Tait's report:

As reported previously in Golfweek, Trump acquired the mobile phone number of new R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers last year. Trump has made frequent calls to Slumbers to promote Turnberry’s 2020 credentials. The property tycoon is spending approximately $250 million to upgrade the course and hotel on Scotland's southwest coast.

Slumbers will sit down with golf writers Monday for a roundtable discussion on a number of issues. Trump, and his Turnberry course, likely will dominate the discussion.

Trump: We're Still In The Rota!

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I'm not sure what's more impressive: Donald Trump declaring that he's still in The Open Championship rota, or Alex Miceli getting The Donald on the phone in the midst of a presidential campaign.

Either way, Trump sees Turnberry still very much in the rota despite reports of the R&A cooling to the idea.

“I haven't been told that at an all, no,” Trump said Friday by phone about Turnberry being taken off the British Open rota, which first was reported by London’s Independent. “We're working together with the R&A on the design. We have redesigned it, and it's almost completed. It will be opened in July and, no, I haven't heard that at all.”

At all?

What's Going On With The World Amateur Golf Ranking?

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On the list of issues facing the sport how amateurs are ranked by the R&A's World Amateur Golf Ranking probably doesn't leap off the page as prime click bait.

Which is even more reason to check out Golf Bible's analysis of a lightly viewed press release announcing changes to how the rankings are tabulated. Namely, a two-year window is now considered to tabulate an amateur golfer's ranking, which can impact if the player is eligible for something like the Asia Pacific Amateur.

There has long been great discord within amateur golf ranks over the ranking, including at the moment when the current NCAA and U.S. Amateur champion, Bryson DeChambeau, is ranked third, yet lands a more logical first in the Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking.

I'm guessing this would be example A as to why it has less credibility than it should, as Golf Bible writes:

Prior to last week’s announcement Jon Rahm was due this week to drop a huge number of points that he won for finishing tied 5th at the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open. Now he will stay at No. 1 I guess. Oppositely the SPWAR has more smooth and gradual changes because it applies points ageing.

[Somehow Rahm was awarded more points (30.250) by the WAGR for this high pro finish than DeChambeau got for winning either the US Amateur (19.875) or the NCAA Division 1 Championship (22.000) which explains why he is No. 1 if you were wondering].

R&A Chief On Match-Fixing, Shorts, Olympics, Trump

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In his most extensive interview to date (unbylined BBC story), new R&A Chief Martin Slumbers acknowledged that the group is monitoring the potential for betting irregularity issues coming to golf, is open to considering shorts for practice rounds, is excited about golf's Olympic moment, and is continuing the organization’s effort to punt on the issue of an Open at Trump Turnberry.

Interestingly, just last week new European Tour head (and fellow fast play advocate of Slumbers) Keith Pelley, said there was no concern betting scandals like those in tennis could find their way to golf. (He's sounding a bit like Tim Finchem a decade ago suggesting there was no need for drug testing in golf.)

Slumbers doesn’t agree even though no evidence has surfaced suggesting anything has taken place like tennis has seen. Still, with bookmakers offering daily wagering on head-to-head play in groups, the opportunity is there for match-fixing.

"I think the events of the last few months will bring it more to the top of those agendas, yes," he said.

"If there was evidence starting to build of inappropriate betting, the game is run by some very responsible and sensible people who have the game at heart and I'm sure will do the right thing. We are certainly keeping this under careful attention.

R&A: We'll Consider The Shorts Matter, If You Insist

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Rex Hoggard got this priceless quote from the R&A on the possibility of shorts in The Open Championship.

Nice to see the folks in St. Andrews have a sense of humor mid-winter.

“While we already have our conditions of entry for the Open at Royal Troon, this is something the Championship Committee will consider in future. It would certainly be a pleasant dilemma to have if the weather here in mid-July is sufficiently warm for shorts to be desirable.”