GILLIAN KIRKWOOD NAMED AS NEW PRESIDENT

Gillian Kirkwood

From The R&A Website ---

Gillian Kirkwood has been confirmed as the next President of the Ladies’ Golf Union (LGU) succeeding Diane Bailey MBE.

The merger of the LGU and The R&A took effect earlier this year and she will work with the organisation to support its work in women’s and girls’ golf around the world, including encouraging more females to play golf and become members of clubs.

Mrs Kirkwood is an experienced golf administrator and has held several positions in women’s golf, including Vice-Chair and Chair of the SLGA and LGU, Chair of the Great Britain and Ireland Selection Committee and President of the Scottish Veteran Ladies Golfing Association. She was also Captain of Midlothian County Ladies Golf Association from 1991-1993 and was the Ladies Captain of Broomieknowe Golf Club from 1982-84 and from 2004-2006, and is currently Vice-Captain of Gullane Ladies' Golf Club. Mrs Kirkwood is an experienced Rules Official and has represented the LGU on the R&A’s Amateur Status Committee.

In 2012, she was appointed by the Scottish Government as a Trustee on the St Andrews Links Trust and she is currently the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Women Golfers Museum.

A keen women’s golf historian, she also collects golf memorabilia and is a member of the British Golf Collectors Society. She has represented Europe at Hickory Golf when she played in the BGCS Hickory Grail against the United States.

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Mrs Kirkwood worked in IT as a senior manager in the higher education sector. Since retiring she has worked to provide the latest news and updates on women’s golf with her own website KirkwoodGolf and acts as webmaster to Scottish Golf View.

“It is a great honour to be offered the role of President and I am delighted to accept the invitation to represent the organisation and support its work in growing and developing women’s golf in countries around the world”, said Kirkwood.

“Women’s golf has made good progress and I look forward to encouraging more women and girls to participate in golf more regularly and become members of clubs.