122-year-old club appoints first ever lady captain

One of the oldest golf clubs on Glasgow’s south side, Cathcart Castle, has appointed a woman as captain for the first time. Jane Alexander, a six-time champion at the 122-year-old club, was unanimously elected by around 100 members at the annual general meeting on Friday.

Six-time club champion Jane Alexander has been named captain of Cathcart Castle. Picture: Contributed

“It’s particularly satisfying to take on this job in what is a historic year for golf in Scotland, with the amalgamation of our ladies’ and men’s amateur organisations into the single representative body of Scottish Golf Limited,” said Alexander. “The game is truly changing, and it will be a privilege to have a small footnote in the annals of golf’s modernisation.”

Alexander’s father, Bill Anderson, was a life-long member of Dullatur while her mother, Margaret, is a past ladies’ captain at Cowglen. “The future of our game rests with the boys and girls playing today,” added the retired events and communications manager. “But, as clearly illustrated in the case of my mum – who didn’t take up golf until she was in her 40s – this is a sport for all.”

Cathcart Castle chairman Angus Fraser said the members were “delighted” with Alexander’s historic appointment, adding: “More than 120 years of tradition has been overturned and we are now living in the modern world. In the last five years we have addressed the equality issue, and this appointment is the culmination of that.”

Two women, Karen Ballantyne and Louise Fraser, are the current club captains at Craigmillar Park and Kingsknowe respectively. That historic honour will also fall to Sheila Stuart and Turnhouse next month then Margaret Keith at Duddingston shortly afterwards.

On the tournament front, Catriona Matthew finished her 2015 campaign with a 6&5 defeat to Japan’s Misuzu Narita as the hosts emerged as comfortable winners of The Queens, a new team tournament.

It completed a disappointing weekend for Scottish players after Sally Watson, Gemma Dryburgh and Kylie Walker all failed to survive the 72-hole cut in the LPGA Tour Qualifying School in Florida.