FILE PHOTO: Golf - The 151st Open Championship - Royal Liverpool, Hoylake, Britain - July 19, 2023 R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers during a press conference REUTERS/Paul Childs/File Photo
(Reuters) - Martin Slumbers is to step down as CEO of the R&A by the end of 2024 after nine years in the role, the 63-year-old said on Wednesday.
Slumbers is also Secretary of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and has been CEO since taking over from Peter Dawson in 2015.
"It has been a privilege to serve golf at the highest level," Slumbers said in a statement.
"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.
Slumbers will oversee the running of this year's Open Championship at Royal Troon, the AIG Women's Open at St Andrews and the Curtis Cup match at Sunningdale, before he steps down.
In his time as CEO, he led a merger with the Ladies' Golf Union which came into effect in 2017, oversaw the modernisation of the Rules of Golf in 2019 and the roll-out of the World Handicap System in 2020.
"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," R&A chairman Niall Farquharson said.
Slumbers was also involved in developing the new rules to limit the distance balls struck by the game's elite players can travel, which will be introduced in 2028.
An executive search firm has been appointed to assist in the search for his successor.
"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," Slumbers said.
(This story has been corrected to say 'Wednesday' instead of 'Tuesday' in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
