Royal and Ancient Golf Club to reveal results of women vote

R&A Golf Club will reveal the results on Thursday night (©GettyImages).

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews will reveal the result on the vote on whether to allow women members for the first time in its 260 year history, according to Sky Sports.

The result will be announced Thursday night with members of the R&A being asked if they would agree to 15 female members being admitted with the majority expected to vote 'yes.'

Significant contribution

If the club does vote in favour, women who have made a "significant contribution" to golf will be top of the list to join the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

There are plenty of possible candidates to receive a membership including former USGA President Judy Bell, the principle of St Andrews University Louise Richardson and former top amateur player Carol Semple Thompson.

Snap their hands off

Laura Davies, winner of the 1994 and 1996 LPGA Championship, has also declared her interest by admitting she would "snap their hands off" if she was offered a membership.

On the same day that Scotland will vote for their independence, a spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews explained the process of their own vote.

Ballot papers

"The club is balloting its members on a change to its membership rules that would enable it to welcome women members.

"Over 2,400 ballot papers have been sent out and the vote is independently scrutinised by Electoral Reform Services. A simple majority is required to effect the proposed change. Should the outcome be in favour of welcoming women members the decision will take immediate effect."

They also explained that the lucky women members will have to have earned the privilege.

"The first women members in a mixed membership Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews are likely to have made a significant contribution to the development of our sport."

Not a message

The Chief Executive of the R&A, Peter Dawson, said in March that the club is in support of women members and expects the vote to be in favour. However, he insisted that this vote wasn't a message to the other male-only clubs on the Open Championship.

Muirfield, Royal Troon and Royal St George's are three other golf clubs that currently adopt a male-only policy. However, the club secretary of Royal Troon, David Brown believes that they aren't considering changing their view on women membership but feel they contrast to many others.

"At present, membership of Royal Troon Golf Club is open only to those of the male gender and we have no plans to change our constitution at this time, although I must point out that we are quite different from many of the other single gender clubs in that we share our facilities with an active Ladies Golf Club.”