R&A Issues Honorary Memberships to Woods, McIlroy & Lawrie

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Paul Lawrie have been granted honorary memberships by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Woods, Open winner in 2000, 2005, and 2006, is joined by 2014 winner Rory and 1999 victor Paul Lawrie in the honor.

A fantastic accolade for the arguably most distinguished golfer of all time, as well as a meaningful accolade for Scotsman Lawrie, and for someone as young as McIlroy to have achieved this honor is also very special.

Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Paul Lawrie have accepted invitations to become Honorary Members of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews 🏆⛳️

More here 👉 https://t.co/H9VAxdfAiQ pic.twitter.com/dGSbVIg9xg

— The R&A (@RandA) July 13, 2022

There is a lot of talk of legacy now, with all the discussions surrounding LIV golf, and this week saw Tiger scorning those who have turned their back on the PGA Tour. Tigers’ comments on LIV golf will have had an equal effect as Arnold Palmer’s back in the 1990s when the world of golf idea was circulated. If you leave now, you’re defying the King. For someone as driven by majors as Tiger, he simply could not comprehend why you’d risk giving all that up. Even though the LIV golfers are currently eligible to play in the majors, even the smallest risk of not being able to do so was enough to steer Tiger away from the rival series.

There is no event or location more appropriate to demonstrate what it means to leave a legacy than the Open at the Home of Golf, and it has been delivered in spades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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From the ceremony honoring greats of the game like Nicklaus, Trevino & Olazabal, to the Champions Dinner made up of past winners, to this great accolade given by the R&A, the benefits of leaving a positive mark on the game are plain to see.

Regardless, all golfers who tee it up this week will be embraced warmly, because it’s the Home of Golf. The fans know and love the game, and have seen the finest of players walk the Scottish links for decades. I think the accolades given out by the R&A to Woods, Rory, and Lawrie carry more meaning in a tumultuous time for world golf. They act as a stabilizing message to remind the players why they play the game. If you play the sport, you have to care about awards like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This is why I think the R&A could’ve allowed Greg Norman to attend the past champions’ dinner. I’m not willing to delve into cancel culture, but Norman has been ostracized from these esteemed circles for his current actions, despite being a legitimate Open champion, who came out on top over 72 holes for those weeks in 1986 and 1993, just as all champions who came before him.

There is the argument that Norman would attract too much attention, or divert the conversations of heritage and respect into geopolitics, blood money, and morals, but the R&A could’ve shown itself to be above the petty politics, extended the invite, and dictated the focus of the event onto what it means to win, rather than what the champions have gone on to do since.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Tomorrow the 150th Open commences, and the topic of legacy will be reiterated in the commentary booth and throughout the golfing world, as another player looks to etch their name into the Claret Jug, further extending the list of Champion Golfers into the history books.

Cover Image Via Bleacher Report