New survey reveals sexist attitudes still rife in golf

A new study has revealed the extent of the negative attitudes that still exist among the UK population when it comes to women’s involvement in golf at all levels of the game, with one-in-seven men arguing that women shouldn’t be allowed to play the sport at all.

Golf insurance company Golf Care has published details of a survey that it has conducted with over 2,000 adult UK residents, both men and women, with questions covering topics related the professional and amateur game, TV viewing, participation and competitive events.

When asked whether gender inequality exists within UK golf, almost a quarter said they don’t believe it’s an issue. The study found significant bias in TV viewing habits, with 28% of men saying they have watched men’s golf in the past, compared to just 11% who have watched the women’s equivalent. Just 58% of survey respondents agreed that women’s golf should have equal TV coverage to men.

When asked about major golf tournaments, 55% of those surveyed said there should be a female version of The Masters. However, one in 10 men disagree, arguing that The Masters should remain a men’s only golf competition.

In addition, when asked about the gender pay gap in sport, a quarter of people said that male players deserve to be paid more than their female counterparts. This rose to 35% amongst male respondents. The world’s highest paid male golfer is Phil Mickelson, who earned $138m (£114.6m) in 2022. The highest paid professional female golfer in 2022, meanwhile, was Minjee Lee, who took home a total of $7.3m (£6m).

Finally, it’s not just women out on the fairways who are discriminated against. Almost one in 10 people said that the opinions of female pundits are less valid than that of their male counterparts. This view was most prevalent among survey respondents aged 55 and over, whilst younger age groups were less inclined to agree.

John Woosey, founder of Golf Care, said: “Although some progress has certainly been made to encourage female participation in golf, this data shows just how pervasive sexism is – both within golf and more widely throughout society. For too long, golf clubs and the professional game have been seen as a ‘boys club’ and this needs to urgently change if golf is to have a place in the future of sport.”

The Drift Golf Club in Surrey is to host the southern regional final of this year’s renewal of the Australian Spoons, a popular ladies’ foursomes competition open to members of clubs in Surrey, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex.

Open to pairs with handicaps between 15 and 54, clubs should host a qualifying competition for their ladies, although it can be run concurrently with a previously scheduled foursomes event.

It costs £3 per play to enter a club qualifier, with entry fees to be forwarded to the regional organiser. Clubs then send in their entry form with their best scoring pair to Surrey Golf, where 64 pairs will progress through to each regional final. The closing date for entries is May 24.

The winning pair from every county will be invited to play in the Australian Spoons Grand Final to be held at England Golf’s headquarters at Woodhall Spa on August 18. For entry forms, visit www.englandgolf.org.

Two Sussex golfers have returned from South Africa feeling on top of the world and rightly so. John Eakin, from Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club in East Sussex, and Andy Gilford, from Ham Manor in West Sussex, both won world titles at the ISPS Handa IBGA World Blind Golf Championships held at Milnerton Golf Club in Cape Town, South Africa.

Eakin took first place in the 36-hole men’s net stroke play competition whilst Gilford won the 36-hole gross stroke play in the B2 category contest for men golfers with no more than 5% vision.

After the tournament Gilford said: “As a child growing up with sight loss I struggled to come to terms with my condition. As a junior playing golf with my friends guiding me at Shaw Hill Golf Club in Lancashire I would dream about being a world champion. To actually do it with my wife Mel acting as my guide made it even more special.”

Both Eakin and Gilford hope that news of their success will encourage visually impaired people of all ages to consider the benefits of playing golf as well as the possibilities of competing at the highest level at prestigious venues.

Qualifiers for the championships ranged in age from 20-year-old Tyler Cashman from New Jersey, USA to 85-yearold Danny Daniels from Swaffham in Norfolk, and also included a women’s section.

Gilford, who is secretary of the England and Wales Blind Golf charity, added: “Danny can inspire so many people at that age who are thinking of giving up the game as they lose sight later in life. Tyler Cashman’s story is equally incredible and the boy is gold dust to blind golf. I played with him in the last round of the championship and it was so special to feel the bond of a grandson playing with his grandad as his guide. It shows that blind golf is something a family can really share and enjoy.’

Overall, the tournament, which ran over five days and included two days for the ISPS Handa South African Open, was a triumph for EWBG players. Eakin finished runner-up in both the SA Open’s overall men’s net and B3 gross categories, for players with not more than 10 per cent vision, behind lefthanded Keifer Jones of Calgary, Canada, who plays off a handicap of one. In turn, Gilford finished third in the World Championship net competition just ahead of EWBG captain and Blackmoor GC member in Hampshire, Jason Bastable, in fourth. Finally, Owen Robinson, of Ramsdale Park Golf Centre in Nottingham, came third in the South African Open B2 net score category.

“It has been a fantastic week,” said Gilford. “But I must say a special thanks to the members and Jon Nicholas, the pro at Ham Manor. for all their support over the years. I just hope I can use this title to inspire more children with sight loss to take up the game with the work the charity is doing in partnership with The Golf Foundation.”

The Asian Tour is set to make history by staging an event for the first time in Scotland at Fairmont St Andrews from August 24-27. The inaugural St Andrews Bay Championship will take place at the venue’s Torrance Course, a 7,320-yard layout that was designed by Sam Torrance and offers views over St Andrews Bay towards the town of St Andrews.

The course is no stranger to hosting top-class events, having previously hosted the DP World Tour’s Scottish Championship in 2022, the European Seniors Tour on six occasions between 2009-14, as well as Open Qualifying when The Open is held at St Andrews.

St Andrews Bay Championship will feature a 156-strong field who will be competing for a $1.5m prize fund in the sixth event of the Asian Tour’s new International Series schedule, and will be held a week after the International Series England, which is being staged at Close House in Northumberland from August 17-20.

Callum Nicoll, Head of Golf at Fairmont St Andrews, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be staging another world class event at Fairmont St Andrews, and to be making history as the first Scottish host for the Asian Tour. The Torrance course offers a challenging test for the players this summer, blending the principles of links golf with a more modern style.”

He added: “The elevated nature of The International Series with generous purses, strong international fields, and the reward of a place for the Series winner in next year’s LIV Golf League all makes for a very exciting tournament in the summer.”

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Jon Rahm confirmed his status as the hottest golfer on the planet with a dominant victory at the 87th Masters , where the Spaniard’s combination of powerful ball-striking and a delicate touch on and around the greens at Augusta National made him an unstoppable force. Here Rahm describes his journey to his first green jacket, his second major title, and what it means to follow in the footsteps of the late, great Seve Ballesteros