Scotland’s most decorated female golfer, Catriona Matthew, played a key role in advising both the foundation and Scottish Golf on bringing the programme to fruition.
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“Experience has taught me that making that step from the top of the amateur game into the professional ranks can be tough a transition,” Ms Matthew said. “We all want to see more Scots competing at the top of the women’s game and this programme is designed to help bridge the gap for young professionals.
“I know from captaining both Lorna and Hannah in last year’s Curtis Cup that they are players with a bright future, and we all want to help them reach their full potential. By putting in place this programme and laying down strong foundations of support, my sincere hope is that many more aspiring Scottish players will follow Hannah and Lorna and benefit in the years ahead.”
The new programme comes on the back of Scottish Golf being able to send squads out to the Bahamas over the past two years through receiving support from the Sean Connery Foundation, which was established in 2020 to reflect the James Bond actor’s passions and guiding principles.
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“He always wanted to champion talented people who couldn’t otherwise get a break, backing excellence in need,” his son Stephane Connery said. “Sean greatly admired the women’s game, and he saw an injustice in how little attention it got in comparison to the men’s.”
As part of Scottish Golf’s broader “Women and Girls Strategy”, a separate three-year fund is being established to support employment by its member clubs of full or part-time dedicated to growing and retaining female membership.
Clubs looking to welcome more women and girls, and those seeking to build momentum and growth in female participation, will be eligible for support. The phased investment from the fund will be matched by the clubs.
A further “Club Education Fund” targeted specifically at the female workforce is being established to upskill and retain employees within golf. Its ambition is to get more women into leadership, managerial and key decision-making positions within clubs.