Chris Hilton to be next R&A captain

Chris Hilton, a retired lawyer who was heavily involved in the recent modernisation of golf's rules, is to become the next captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Chris Hilton. Picture: R&A

He will take over from Bruce Mitchell, the first Canadian to hold the post, in September, beginning his year in office with the traditional driving-in ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course, after being nominated by the past 
captains.

Newcastle-born Hilton became a member of the historic club in 2000 and chaired the Rules Committee from 2011 to 2015, when he played an important role in developing the Rules Modernisation initiative with the USGA with the revised Rules of Golf set to take effect on 1 January 2019. He is currently a member of the General Committee.

His home club is The Northumberland, while he is also a member of The Golf House Club, Elie, the New Club of St Andrews and Bamburgh Castle.

Meanwhile, Cameron Clark, whose father Ian was a beaten finalist in the 1953 Scottish Boys’ Championship at North Berwick, has been appointed as captain of Great Britain & Ireland’s PGA Cup team when they attempt to claim an historic third consecutive victory over America in Texas next year.

The head PGA pro at Moor Hall in the West Midlands is no stranger to the biennial competition, having been involved in the last two, playing as GB&I secured a first win on US soil at CordeValle in California in 2015 then serving as vice-captain to Scot Albert MacKenzie in an emphatic 16-10 home 
victory at Foxhills last 
September.