New R&A chief Darbon inherits 'challenging in-tray'

The man with the reputation of leading England’s best-run rugby union club is the figure chosen to take over one of the most influential roles in global golf.

Mark Darbon’s appointment as the new chief executive of the R&A comes at a time when men’s professional golf remains embroiled in unprecedented uncertainty.

The 45-year-old will leave his job in charge of Premiership title holders Northampton Saints to succeed Martin Slumbers at the St Andrews-based governing body.

It is a crucial role given the current battle for the future of men’s professional golf.

Slumbers was seen as an influential sounding board following the 2022 arrival of the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV circuit, which led to high profile player departures from the established PGA and DP World tours.

He will depart the job after overseeing this summer’s Open, AIG Women’s Open and Curtis Cup, having succeeded Peter Dawson in 2015.

Slumbers is regarded as arguably the most progressive leader in the R&A’s long history. He championed the women’s game, oversaw increasing recreational participation and tried to dilute golf’s often stuffy, elitist image.

The former international banker also brought a hardened business acumen that led to The Open becoming an all-ticket event watched by sell out crowds. The move was not popular with die hard enthusiasts but made commercial sense.

Crucially, The Open has continued to corporately prosper despite spending much of the past decade behind a television paywall.

Darbon appears well qualified to build on Slumbers’ successes, which include helping to maintain the post-covid participation boom the sport has enjoyed for the past few years.

While golf prospered after the pandemic, it has been a much more challenging environment for professional rugby clubs. But Darbon won praise for the way that he has led Northampton in these challenging times.

Tipped to succeed Bill Sweeney as boss of the Rugby Football Union, golf’s newest boss helped his employers post record turnover figures last season when Saints won the league title for the first time since 2014.

Unlike many of their rivals, Northampton do not have the income source of 'sugar daddy' and operate in a state of self sufficiency.

Darbon held several senior roles with London Olympic Games and Paralympics and was head of Olympic Park Operations at the time of the 2012 event.

He then became senior vice president of Tough Mudder in New York and was involved in planning, promoting and staging mass participation events in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australasia.

In his new role, along with his duties running The Open and other elite events, he will work with the United States Golf Association (USGA) in overseeing the sport's rules. He will also serve as secretary of the 270-year-old Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be taking up these positions with The R&A and The Royal and Ancient,” he said. “And to be moving into golf, a sport I have always loved.”

He inherits a challenging in-tray. Prize money is sky rocketing following the inflationary arrival of LIV and The Open will struggle to keep pace with the other American-based majors.

Last month’s US Open, run by the USGA - the R&A’s American counterparts, boasted a record purse of $21.5m (£17m). There is also the thorny issue of a widening gender pay gap with the women’s game.

Darbon will play an influential role in the implementation of contentious new rules limiting the distance golf balls can fly which comes into force in 2028. The PGA Tour remains opposed to the move.

He arrives at a fascinating time for the game and with the PGA of America - who run the US PGA Championship and American Ryder Cup team - also looking for a new boss following the imminent departure of its chief executive, Seth Waugh.

Darbon is a single finger handicap golfer who plays in Northamptonshire and at Saunton in Devon.

“We were greatly impressed with Mark’s knowledge and experience of the global sport industry and his ability to develop successful teams and deliver fantastic events,” said Niall Farquharson, chairman of The R&A.

“We believe he will be an excellent leader for The R&A and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and will play a key role in helping us to achieve our goal of ensuring a prosperous and sustainable future for golf.”