Golf participation could reach record levels in the coming years, he said Martin SlumbersOutgoing Chief Executive of The R&A.
Speaking at his final Open Championship press conference before stepping down, Slumbers said he was looking forward to the future of the game.
He said: “I have expressed concern in recent years about the financial sustainability of the men’s professional game. If we take a broader view of the game, golf is in many ways riding a wave.
“The golf industry is benefiting from increased participation, and more people are enjoying golf in all its forms. More than 100 million people enjoy the game in one form or another around the world.
“The latest participation statistics for 2023 showed that in the countries we are dealing with, there were 62.3 million people who played golf, which is an increase of 1.1 million last year.
“These numbers encourage us a lot, but we have to keep this trend. To do that, we must have a business model that is sustainable in the long term.
“If you look at golf like a pyramid, no matter how strong the pyramid is at the top, it can only stand if the pyramid is equally strong at the base.
“We see that as our responsibility, that’s why we invest all the money we get from The Open back into sports. We must be careful to do so in a way that ensures that the recreational game thrives and that the most talented players have a path to the top of the game so that the professional game of tomorrow can flourish. We can’t do that if we ignore the base of the pyramid.
“The reason why I am expressing this concern is that I am determined to introduce more people to the game of golf around the world and help them progress to the levels of the game if they have the talent and motivation.
“If we can achieve a sustainable business model and really engage in the parts of the world where the growth opportunities are coming, then there is a great opportunity, maybe once in a generation, to elevate our sport and make it a more popular participation sport than a sport. it has always been so. I am sure that can be achieved.”
Profits from The Open Championship are reinvested in growing golf around the world.
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