European golf is turning a new important leaf

In the last 48 hours, the attention of the European golf world has focused on two very important pieces of news.

On Wednesday, Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A and secretary of the prestigious The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, announced he would step down from both roles by the end of this year.

In an official statement, the R&A specified that Slumbers will continue to oversee key events, including the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, the return of the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews and the 43rd Curtis Cup at Sunningdale Golf Club. Only after these events he will leave his leadership positions.

Slumbers, who took over from Peter Dawson in 2015, has led the R&A in recent years through major developments, including the introduction of the World Handicap System (recently revised for the first time this year) and the decision to tackle the “distance roll back” problem in golf.

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For the moment, no indications have been given about his successor, and the future of the leadership of R & A remains open.

Less than 24 hours after this news, the DP World Tour issued a statement regarding a major leadership change.

“Chief Executive Officer Keith Pelley will leave the European Tour Group after eight and a half years of service to join Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in his hometown of Toronto.”

Pelley will assume the role of President and CEO of the parent company of four Toronto sports teams: the Maple Leafs (NHL), Raptors (NBA), Toronto FC (MLS) and Argonauts (CFL).

Effective April 2, Guy Kinnings, current Acting Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Ryder Cup, will replace Pelley as the new Chief Executive Officer of the DP World Tour.

The Rules of Golf are a set of standard rules and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf throughout the world, outside of the United States and Mexico, which are the responsibility of the United States Golf Association. An expert commission made up of members of the R&A and USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision is effective January 1, 2016. Changes to the rules of golf generally fall into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that in certain cases reduce penalties to ensure balance. The rule book, entitled “Rules of Golf”, is published on a regular basis and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy it is up to Federgolf to supervise the competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R & A, checking that these rules are observed by the Clubs, Associations and their members and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.