Let’s raise a glass to Clare Dowling after her historic drive-in last week as the first female Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club. In a sport where women have fought hard to break down barriers, seeing Clare step into this role is a powerful, historic moment for golf’s future.
And if you aren't familiar with her story, what a resume she brings to the role. The Dublin native enjoyed a trophy-laden amateur career, winning five Irish Championships and the British Open Amateur Stroke Play, before captaining GB&I in the 2000 Curtis Cup. She was right there at the forefront as one of the first female R&A members, and after years of committee work, refereeing, and maintaining a 7.6 handicap, landing the top job is the ultimate crown. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone with deeper roots in the game to take on this historic milestone.
Moments like this always make me reflect on just how much the landscape has shifted during my career in golf. Think back to 2003 when Annika Sorenstam teed it up at the Colonial, becoming the first woman in 58 years to play a PGA Tour event. Facing a wall of global media pressure and plenty of cynicism, she shot 71-74, missed the cut by just four shots, and completely blew apart the old narrative about women under pressure on the biggest stages.
From there, the dominoes really started to fall, and golf’s old-guard institutions had no choice but to catch up. Augusta National finally cracked open its doors in 2012, ending 80 years of all-male tradition by welcoming Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore.
Two years later, I was sitting on the BBC Breakfast sofa discussing the R&A’s own groundbreaking vote to allow female members for the first time. Fast forward to 2017, and I was live on Sky News when Muirfield finally voted to admit women, though only after the R&A threatened to strip them of Open host status after they dragged their feet in 2016… just saying! Reminders like those show you the rocky road it’s been, and why seeing Clare Dowling take the Captaincy feels like such a massive, heart-warming victory.
Speaking of celebrating the game's trailblazers, nominations are officially open for the 2026 Women in Golf Awards. Entering its fifth year, it has become one of the most uplifting highlights on the calendar - a brilliant platform to honour the women dedicating their lives to golf and shaping the future of our sport.
From unsung heroes and grassroots initiatives to executive leaders, digital creators, and PGA pros making waves, this is our chance to give them the recognition they deserve. The ceremony takes place at Belton Woods on Friday, 27th November, but the nomination window closes on 12th October, so if you know a woman or an initiative transforming our sport, get your entry in! For further details, click here.
