After nearly decade in his role as CEO, Martin Slumbers has confirmed he will step down from the R&A.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A and Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, is to step down by the end of 2024 after what will be nine years in the role.
Mr. Slumbers, 63, provided the organization with his wealth of international business experience as well as his love of golf. In addition to leading the R&A, which is the international golf governing body outside of the United States and Mexico, he served as the secretary of the venerable golf club founded in 1754, supporting its committees in their work on behalf of its global membership.
Before stepping down at the end of the year, he will oversee the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the AIG Women’s Open returning to St Andrews, and the 43rd Curtis Cup match at Sunningdale.
Niall Farquharson, Chairman of The R&A said:
“In Martin, we have been fortunate to have a CEO who has steered the organisation through a period of growth and enhanced the profile and reputation of our sport to make it more accessible, appealing and inclusive. Through his stature and influence in the world of golf and sport more widely and in growing the proceeds of The Open to invest back into the game, he has been true to The R&A’s purpose of golf thriving 50 years from now and has shown transformational leadership. He speaks often of reflecting history in a modern way and that will be his legacy to The R&A and to the Club.”
Slumbers said:
“It has been a privilege to serve golf at the highest level. It is a role that I have been proud to carry out on behalf of The R&A’s employees, the members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and all our global partners. In any career, there is a time to allow the next generation to have its turn. I am grateful to have had the honour, for nearly a decade, to have been the custodian of all that The R&A and the game of golf more broadly represents.”
During his tenure, Mr Slumbers has led a modernisation of The R&A’s activities, which included the merger with the Ladies’ Golf Union and its subsequent integration to enable The R&A to represent golf for men, women, boys and girls at the elite level.
In 2018, as part of his strategic approach to The R&A’s activities, its first Playbook was developed, explaining the purpose of the modern R&A: ‘To make golf open, accessible and inclusive and ensure it is thriving 50 years from now’. This level of clarity has led The R&A to double its financial commitment to golf, with greater emphasis on women and girls; establish a strategic business-driven approach to golf development; and proactively seek to improve the perception of golf as good for you, good for society and good for the environment.
He had oversight of the 2019 modernisation of the Rules of Golf, the roll-out of the World Handicap System in 2020 and the Distance Insights process, the outcome of which was announced in December 2023. He has served on the boards of the Official World Golf Ranking, the International Golf Federation and the LET.
A paradigm shift in the approach to the commercial affairs of The R&A, primarily at The Open, and the level of expertise in the executive team has enabled The R&A to substantially increase its investment into amateur golf around the world and, with partners, has enabled the AIG Women’s Open to grow into a world class championship.
Mr. Slumbers completed a four-year project in 2023 to build Glasgow’s revolutionary new golf facility, Golf It!. More people will be able to experience the boundless joy of golf thanks to this family-friendly facility located in the neighborhood, which also gives locals the chance to find employment, volunteer opportunities, and training programs. In 2023, the G4D Open was introduced, catering to the top golfers with disabilities worldwide. Additionally, in 2024, a new Africa Amateur Championship will be added to the ranks of elite amateur events in Asia-Pacific and Latin America. These include two titles that Mr. Slumbers introduced: the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship and the Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship.
An executive search firm has been appointed to assist in the search for his successor.
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