In January 2017, the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) officially merged with The R&A. It was a quiet administrative move, but it ended up changing the structure and future of women’s golf in the UK and beyond.
For over 120 years, the LGU had overseen women’s amateur and professional events, including the Women’s British Open. With the merger, all of those responsibilities moved under The R&A, an organisation long associated with the men’s game and The Open Championship.
The LGU had been responsible for running some of the most important women’s golf competitions in Britain and Ireland since the 1890s. But by 2016, both organisations agreed that the sport would benefit from shared resources and unified leadership.
Under the terms of the merger, The R&A took over operations, while preserving LGU records and competition history. Several former LGU board members remained involved during the transition to help maintain continuity.
The aim was simple: to give women’s golf the same access to resources, exposure, and structure already in place on the men’s side.
The 2017 Women’s British Open, held at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Scotland, was the first major women’s event staged under the new system. The R&A partnered with IMG to handle logistics and promotion. Coverage expanded, sponsorships grew, and the event reached new audiences across television and digital platforms.
This early success gave supporters confidence that the merger would bring long-term benefits. According to top international betting experts, the increased visibility also led to more interest in women’s golf across global betting markets.
In the years following the merger, women’s golf saw improvements at multiple levels. Among the most noticeable:
The merger also allowed The R&A to direct more resources toward women’s golf participation at schools, clubs, and community level. National federations across Britain and Ireland reported growth in women’s and girls’ golf numbers by 2020.
One area that changed rapidly after the merger was how women’s golf was treated commercially. Major tournaments like the Women`s British Open started appearing more regularly on new betting sites, where betting options had once been limited mostly to men’s events.
With broader media coverage and increased professionalism, player profiles grew. Several competitors gained more international attention and secured better sponsorship deals. The sport also gained more equal treatment on sports media outlets and commercial platforms.
From the beginning, both organisations stated that history would be preserved. LGU records, trophies, and archives were maintained, and traditions like the Curtis Cup and national amateur championships continued under The R&A’s direction.
The original LGU office in St Andrews was kept in use during the transition, and steps were taken to make sure the legacy of the women’s game was not lost in the process.
The LGU–R&A merger wasn’t a headline-grabbing move at the time. But in the years since, it has proved to be one of the most important developments in the growth of women’s golf in the UK and Ireland.
By combining resources, streamlining leadership, and improving access to funding and coverage, the sport has moved toward more balanced and professional treatment. What began as a structural decision has become a lasting shift in how women’s golf is supported, played, and seen.
