The Royal & Ancient may not be ready to take the Open Championship away from male-only clubs, but one of golf’s long-time sugar daddies appears to be.
HSBC, a sponsor of the Open Championship as well as other high-profile international tournaments, says it would prefer that golf’s biggest event be held at clubs that admit women.
“When you are showcasing one of the world’s greatest tournaments,” Giles Morgan said in a comment published by Golfweek, “it would be much more palatable if the events were played where there was not the sense of segregation. We would like to see it get solved, so we don’t keep talking about it.”
Morgan, who oversees the giant banking firm’s sponsorship activities, also noted that he’s made his discomfort clear to the R&A.
“They are acutely aware that things need to change and move on,” he said. “I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m having to justify our sponsorship.”
Is this the beginning of the end for Muirfield, Royal Troon and Royal St. George’s, the three all-male clubs in the R&A rota?
