"There’s no hiding from the fact it is embarrassing for the sport to have a governing body who don’t have any women members"

It can't be of comfort to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews to have the ultra conservative Daily Mail now wondering when you are going to admit a female member following recent calls from noted UK sports figures (here and here).

Derek Lawrenson praises Billy Payne, recounting last year's Masters press conference, and writes:

Peter Dawson, the R&A’s chief executive, believes this subject to be simply a Press obsession, that most golfers couldn’t give two hoots, and he’s at least partly right. Most golfers couldn’t care less.

But it doesn’t make the R&A’s stance right. There’s no hiding from the fact it is embarrassing for the sport to have a governing body who don’t have any women members, and that will not change until the R&A do. It’s all well and good to allow juniors to attend The Open for free but what  message are you sending out if you then take the event to clubs that don’t allow juniors to join?