Outgoing R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers believes the current controversial situation within the men's game is doing “terrible damage” to the sport's reputation.
Slumbers will be replaced by Mark Darbon – who has been chief executive of the R&A since 2015, who is leaving his role as CEO of Premiership rugby team Northampton Saints.
He steps down at a controversial time in the golf world as the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) continue to negotiate. solution to the shock “framework agreement” announced in June 2023.
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PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in August that they would continue to negotiate with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund
Slumbers admits he is concerned about the current 'civil war' and fractured divide within golf, with the 64-year-old hoping for a peace deal to unite the men's game.
“I think the fragmented nature of the game, the constant talk of money, the ever-increasing prize money, the financial instability of the game, I think has It is a terrible damage to the reputation and understanding of the sport. I love it,” Slumbers to Sky Sports News.
“I really hope that we are getting to a point where there will be peace and there will be more stability. “
Slumbers: No unfinished business
Slumbers reveals the best moment of his R&A career was with Shane Lowry at The Open in Portrush on Saturday night, where the Irishman celebrated holding a four-stroke lead in front of a packed crowd before it to the main title the next day. .
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Highlights from Shane Lowry's four rounds at The Open in 2019, where he claimed a six-shot victory at Royal Portrush.
“It just doesn't get any better than that,” Slumbers said. “I don't know how many miles there were around that green, but it was an amazing experience.”
Slumbers is proud of his legacy leading the governing body and organization, which runs The Open and AIG Women's Open, and believes he has left the game in a state where it has become “a much bigger recreational sport”.
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Highlights from the final round of the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews, where Lydia Ko impressed.
He says he has given everything he could to the role since taking over from Peter Dawson in 2015 and following efforts to “update the game but mirror history”.
“I don't walk away with any unfinished business,” Slumbers said. “I felt that when I came into the job, I knew what I wanted to do. I gave him everything I had to do.
“As The Open grew, the size of The Open, I always wanted it to be seen as one of the biggest sporting events in the world. That's certainly what we've delivered over over the past 10 years.”
Watch The Open and AIG Women's Open live only on Sky Sports. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and more with NOW.
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