Top 3 Takeaways as R&A’s Martin Slumber Makes an Unexpected Announcement

Martin Slumbers made the unexpected announcement of his resignation. On Wednesday, he announced that effective by the end of 2024, he would not be the R&A CEO anymore. He served in his position for nine years as one of golf’s leading administrators. His departure comes at a time when the sport is already facing some of the biggest turmoil, for instance, the PGA Tour-DPWT-LIV Golf-PIF merger.

Slumbers has played a key role in the organization and the game, and he is leaving when the merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf appears on the knife’s edge. Will his departure affect the future of golf? There are three major takeaways from Slumbеrs’s resignation and what it could mean for the game!

1. Is LIV Golf’s OWGR dream to remain that way?

LIV Golf applied for OWGR certification in July 2022, but the plea was rejected a few months ago, citing its inability to compare its 54-hole and no-cut others with others outside the OWGR umbrella. However, Slumbеrs hinted that the decision could be reversed in January or February 2024. He said, “We’re in the middle of reviewing it at the moment, and we’ll publish in January or February.”

While talking about LIV Golfers, he further said, “What we’re trying to work through is rankings, which is trying to rank eligible tours. I think a lot of people get confused by the fact that rankings are trying to rank individual players. It’s eligible tours that are comparable, and then we rank the players within those. It is a complex problem, and it may be that the world has to change. But at the moment, that’s still under work in progress and being reviewed.”

With Slumbеrs leaving his post, the dream of LIV Golf’s OWGR status remains unfulfilled because he appeared to be on the board of granting the golfers OWGR points.

2. The golf ball rollback policy will face more resistance

Another controversial topic is the golf ball rollback, the proposal by the R&A and the USGA to reduce the diameter of golf balls. Last year, the government announced that they would implement the rollback for all golfers in 2028. However, the policy was met with strong opposition from many players, except a few, including Rory McIlroy.

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Slumbеrs defined the rollback policy as he said, “Unequivocally, the ball is going further than it did 15 years ago, and it is a “good of the game.” With him stеpping down, the golf ball rollback policy will face more resistance and challenges, as only USGA head Mike Davis will be left for them to convince.

3. The future of LIV Golf is left hanging again

Bеsidеs thе OWGR and thе golf ball rollback and Slumbеrs were also involved in talks with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). He met with Yasir Al Rumayyan several times, and he also partnered with him at the Dunhill Links Championship. Later, the R&A confirmed that it was part of the “development projects” in the kingdom.

However, with his resignation the future of LIV Golf’s involvement in the game, he is left hanging again. With the alliance between R&A and the Saudis continuing to strengthen, a new chief executive will have to take the helm.

What do you think will be the outcome of his move? Stay tuned for the update!

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