SLGA losing chairman as unity talks resume

Published on 30/11/2012 00:00

the Scottish Ladies Golfing 
Association is losing the driving force behind its role in efforts 
to create a unified body to run the game in Scotland.

Just as amalgamation talks with the men’s Scottish Golf Union are about to begin again, Shona Malcolm will be retiring as chairman at the SLGA’s annual meeting in January.

She has already served a year more in the post than had been planned intially. Malcolm told The Scotsman: “My term actually finished last year but at that time [secretary] Sheila Hartley was due to retire, we’d also lost our championship manager [Claire Hargan] to the R&A and our longest-serving board member was also finishing.

“There was no continuity so I said I’d stay on for up to a year or until such time as the amalgamation happened.”

More than 18 months after the unification plan was voted down by the men, having been accepted by the women, headway appears to have finally been made with confirmation imminent that an independent chairman has been appointed.

“The lack of progress has been a bit frustrating but, hopefully, we are back on track and it will happen sooner rather than later,” added Malcolm, who is also chief executive of the Ladies Golf Union, so will be keeping a close eye on any developments on the amalgamation front.

Applications are now being sought for her replacement as SLGA chairman and Malcolm said: “Sometimes fresh thinking is a good thing but I remain a great believer in amalgamation and the SLGA Board has reiterated that it is committed to seeing it through to a conclusion.”