Dowling begins her year in office after driving in on the Old Course, becoming the first woman to hold the role in the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews’ history.
Claire Dowling drove in as Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews on the Old Course on 25 September 2026, becoming the first woman to hold the role. A cannon fired at 8am as she sent her opening drive down the 1st fairway, watched by Members, former Captains and members of the public gathered for the traditional ceremony.
As Captain, Dowling will represent the Club and The R&A at events and championships around the world over the coming year, meeting players and administrators at every level of the game.
A distinguished playing career
Dowling represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup four times, and was part of the GB&I side that beat the USA 13-5 at Prairie Dunes in 1986, the first American-soil victory in the match’s history. Born and educated in Dublin, she won five Irish Championships between 1983 and her later career, along with the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1986 and the Spanish Amateur in 1987. She went on to captain the GB&I Curtis Cup team in a narrow 10-8 defeat at Ganton in 2000.
Dowling became one of the first women admitted as a Member of the R&A in 2015 and has since served on several Club committees. She is an experienced referee, having officiated at The Open seven times, including at Royal St George’s in 2021, when she and her husband Peter, a retired District Judge, became the first married couple to referee the same Championship. She holds honorary life membership of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union and at her home club, East Devon. Her current Handicap Index is 7.6.
“It is a huge privilege to serve as Captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and I am honoured to be the first woman to take on the role,” Dowling said. “The Club has such a remarkable history and tradition but it is continuing to evolve, which is so important for any institution.”
The sovereign tradition
Under a Club custom dating back to the days when the Captaincy went to the winner of the Silver Club challenge, a new Captain buys back their drive from the caddie who retrieves it, in exchange for a gold sovereign. Caddie Dillon McCarron, 30, from Nova Scotia, returned Dowling’s ball.
“It’s pretty cool to collect the ball,” McCarron said. “With Claire being the first female Captain, it’s quite an honour. I didn’t think there would be much chance of winning with so many caddies out there, so it’s quite something.” The ball will be cast in silver and displayed on the Silver Club.
