A sparkle of girls – and males – got here collectively at Foxhills on Thursday evening to have a good time a yr of unbelievable achievements by ladies within the golf business on the 2024 Girls in Golf Awards.
Now in its third yr, the awards showcase the work of girls from throughout all sectors of the business and supply an necessary platform that conjures up extra ladies to contemplate a profession in golf.
As a part of its mission to advertise ladies in golf, the awards organisers introduced an thrilling new collaboration with Colt McKenzie McNair and Bernhard Academy. The entire finalists and sponsors will come collectively in spring 2025 for a networking and academic day hosted at PING HQ that can elevate and encourage their continued progress within the business.
“Lots of the limitations that confronted me and my predecessors have been demolished, so now is a good time to begin to higher perceive what our future leaders want,” commented awards founder Nicole Wheatley. “This instructional day will work each methods. We need to present the 24 finalists with precious management coaching, but additionally learn how they assume golf can appeal to extra proficient ladies, like them, to work within the business.”
On the evening, BBC sport presenter Katherine Downes offered awards in 10 classes, spanning all areas of the business.
The 2024 winners had been:
Unsung Hero, sponsored by England Golf – Di Inventory, Chief Referee Hampshire Girls Golf
Di’s selfless dedication to ladies’s golf inside Hampshire over the previous 36 years, amassing a conservative estimate of 550 voluntary days refereeing alone is astounding. She has been County Handicap Advisor since 1988, ran the County Inter-Membership knock-out competitions for five years; was County President for 3 years and for 27 years she has selflessley given her time to referee at county and different nationwide novice occasions, together with the Curtis Cup.
Model of the 12 months, sponsored by the BGIA – The Grove
The Grove has developed a tradition and model that values ladies. Over 49% of its workforce are ladies, with 75% of the senior management crew being feminine. From internet hosting the Rose Sequence to its golf recruitment campaigns, the funding the model makes in ladies, each on and off the course, has created an inclusive tradition that allows extra ladies and ladies to maximise their potential in any respect ranges of the business and thru the game itself.
Worldwide Lady, sponsored by Perry Ellis – Karen Lunn, CEO WPGA Tour Australasia and Chair of Australian Golf Trade Council
From Tour participant to CEO of the WPGA – golf around the globe owes big gratitude and respect to Karen. As CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, Karen has considerably raised the profile of Australasian ladies’s skilled golf, whereas additionally fostering golf at each degree within the nation. Notable profession highlights embrace steering the then Australian Girls Skilled Golf to a collaborative alliance with the PGA of Australia, creating the Girls’s Skilled Golf Tour Australasia which provided extra alternatives for fledging and developmental gamers. In 2022 Karen grew to become the primary lady to chair the Australian Golf Trade Council, a discussion board to assist organisations and companies all through the golf business unite on initiatives, technique and coverage.
Girls’s Initiative, sponsored by PING – Bishop’s Stortford Golf Membership ‘Blue Course’, Barbara Tucker
When Barbara Tucker was Woman Captain in 2014, she created The ‘Blue Course’ programme as an innovate resolution to deal with the myriad of points which prevented & discouraged ladies from studying golf and becoming a member of the golf membership. The ‘blue course’ has considerably shorter tees, offers group classes, provides free use of services, and hosts social occasions in addition to guidelines seminars alongside skilled golfers. 10 years later, Barbara’s Blue Course could be credited with offering an inflow of latest members which has ensured the women part continues to thrive. The present Girls part Treasurer, Secretary, Competitions Secretary and Woman Captain are all Blue Course alumni.
Girls in Turfcare, sponsored by BIGGA – Anna Nilsson, Deputy Head Greenkeeper of the Brabazon Golf Course at The Belfry
Anna is a particularly proficient greenkeeper whose course bears testomony to her unwavering dedication, experience and keenness all of which has helped to safe the return of the British Masters to The Belfry in 2025. Anna can also be devoted to inspiring future greenkeepers, teaching college students and visiting faculties to speak to kids about working within the business. Anna’s encouragement is making a huge effect on everybody she meets and her success is inspiring younger ladies to take up a profession in Turfcare.
Girls PGA Skilled, sponsored by TGI Golf Partnership – Sarah Bennett
Sarah Bennett is among the most recognised figures in ladies’s golf within the UK. Sarah has devoted herself to golf’s progress all through her 34-year professional profession, specializing in inclusion and bringing extra ladies into the sport. Sarah has been Essex Women Head Coach since 2012, labored in a voluntary capability for the WPGA and on the PGA Govt Committee and was not too long ago PGA Captain, changing into solely the second lady to carry that put up. She is a well-recognized sight at The Open the place she has delivered teaching within the SwingZone for over 10 years.
Girls’s Management, sponsored by the GCMA – Becca Hembrough, England Golf Efficiency Supervisor (Feminine Golf)
Over the previous 10 years, Becca has led England to grow to be essentially the most profitable ladies’s golf crew in Europe. In 2022/3 she championed the event of a brand new technique for England Golf Efficiency, which is already bearing fruit. In 2024 one in all her gamers was ranked World no. 1 – a primary for an English novice golfer, all 3 feminine groups gained a medal within the European Crew Championships (gold for U18s) and 4 gamers had been named for the Curtis Cup, who beat the USA. Becca has additionally demonstrated management via the Undertaking Ukraine programme, which has had a huge effect on the golf world.
Rising Star, sponsored by Membership Automotive – Molly Pavey, Group Basic Supervisor Bramshaw Golf Membership and Paultons Golf Centre
In 2 years, Molly has rapidly risen via the ranks to grow to be Basic Supervisor at Bramshaw Golf Membership in addition to sister venue Paultons Golf. Molly has been instrumental in bringing Women Golf Rocks and Golf Rookies to the group and each venues have signed the Girls in Golf Constitution beneath her stewardship this yr. Molly was one in all solely 3 recipients of the ECEF’s Younger Managers Bursary in 2024, permitting her to proceed to develop and be taught. Molly has additionally joined the Hampshire Girls Board as Governance Director demonstrating her ongoing dedication to the sport.
Particular Award – Trailblazers – Fiona Womack and Sharon Eales
Fiona and Sharon have developed a scientific mannequin that represents a paradigm shift in golf course design. For therefore many ladies (and males) the shortest tees are nonetheless too lengthy and sometimes not in an incredible place. Which means that many ladies don’t get pleasure from the identical expertise on the course as males. Their mannequin creates a scaled model of the programs that the architect needed each golfer to play, incorporating all the identical experiences, utilizing the identical golf equipment for a similar pictures, tackling the identical hazards, simply with fewer yards concerned. This new strategy has already attracted curiosity from main golf course architects together with Tom Mackenzie, the R&A’s Handicap Committee, the WHS Operations Committee and numerous governing our bodies.
Particular Award – Inspirational Achievement – Adele McLean, Managing Director TGI Golf
This yr, almost 20 years after becoming a member of TGI Golf, Adele McLean accepted the position of Managing Director and appears to proceed constructing on the success TGI Golf has loved over the past 40 years. Her journey from the driving vary to heading up the UK & Eire’s main golf retail companies enterprise is nothing in need of inspirational. Her appointment was celebrated far and large by ladies and men throughout the business who recognised the unbelievable affect she has had on the enterprise and demonstrates to different ladies what could be achieved when there aren’t any glass ceilings.
Concerning the Girls in Golf Awards
The Girls in Golf Awards is an annual occasion celebrating the numerous contribution that ladies, previous and current, proceed to make to the golf business. The occasion was established by Nicole Wheatley and Ben Blackburn whose mixed expertise within the golf world led them to determine a have to create a platform that may join, have a good time and encourage the business. The Awards convey collectively ladies in any respect levels of their careers, from each sector, displaying the various nature of the roles ladies maintain within the business.
