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.
The 63-year-old - who took both positions over from Peter Dawson in 2015 - is set to depart months after working with the USGA to introduce controversial golf-ball rollback rules which will limit how far the ball can fly. Slumbers also helped to modernize the Rules of Golf in 2019 and launch the roll-out of the World Handicap System in 2020.
The R&A said Slumbers will "oversee The 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the return of the AIG Women's Open to St Andrews, and the 43rd Curtis Cup match at Sunningdale" before walking away before the end of the year.
In a statement from the R&A, it said that Slumbers has "brought his extensive global business experience and a passion for golf to the organisation" and "has led The R&A as the global governing body of golf around the world (outside the US and Mexico)."
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' time at The R&A has also seen the body's merger with the Ladies' Golf Union and an increase in investment into amateur golf around the world after the 63-year-old had previously stated that the purpose of the modern R&A is to "make golf more open, accessible and inclusive and ensure it is thriving 50 years from now."
Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Martin Slumbers during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews
In a statement from the R&A, 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.“
The R&A says that "an executive search firm has been appointed to assist in the search for [Slumbers'] successor."
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