Princess Anne, Dame Laura Davies, Annika Sorenstam and Scottish amateur great Belle Robertson are among seven women who have accepted invitations to become honorary members of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.
Last September, the R&A membership voted by an 85% majority to admit women as members for the first time in its 260-year history and the initial wave of new additions were unveiled at an announcement in St Andrews yesterday.
Lally Segard, one of France's greatest golfers, Louise Suggs, an LPGA Tour pioneer, and Renee Powell, the first woman to become a head professional at a golf club in the UK, are also included in the seven-strong list of honorary members.
Princess Anne, a patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, once commented that "golf seems to me to be an arduous way to go for a walk. I would prefer to take the dogs out." Her Royal Highness will join the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York and the Duke of Kent as honorary members of the R&A.
Davies is widely regarded as the UK's finest female golfer, having racked up four major titles and 79 wins around the world while Sorenstam is the former world No 1 who claimed a remarkable haul of 10 majors during a glittering career. Robertson, a farmer's daughter from Southend in Kintyre, went on to win seven Scottish Amateur championships, one Ladies' British Championship and was awarded the MBE in 1973.
George Macgregor, the captain of the Royal & Ancient, said, "It is an honour and a privilege for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club to welcome these remarkable women as honorary members. The Princess Royal enjoys a strong bond with Scotland and has shown great energy and commitment to developing sport through her work in the Olympic movement.
"This is an historic day for the Club and we could not be more proud also to welcome women who have distinguished themselves in golf over many years and have been great players and champions. They are extremely worthy additions to our roll of honorary members and will become ambassadors for the Club as they have been for the sport of golf throughout their careers."
Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the R&A, added: "The process has began in earnest of bringing women into the R&A."
Seven "ordinary" female members have also been admitted to the R&A with a further eight to be fast tracked into the club in the next three years under the general committee's discretion. As with all new members, male and female, the policy of the R&A is not to announce the names of these new members.
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