R&A tasks Accenture with making golf more accessible to fans
The historic British golf organisation of the R&A has partnered with Accenture, as it seeks to modernise its offering. The consultancy will now work with its client to help make the sport more accessible, attractive, and inclusive.
The R&A is the collective name of a group of companies that together play a significant role in the game of golf. Historically, known as the R&A colloquially – short for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews – in 2004, the club spun off its previous governance and tournament organisation roles into the current R&A group, and the club itself reverted to a private members-only club.
R&A Rules now serves one of the governing bodies of golf worldwide, alongside the United States Golf Association (USGA). R&A Championships meanwhile organises The Open Championship, which is the world’s oldest international men’s major golf championship; the Women’s British Open; the Senior Open Championship; as well as the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup.
As the R&A looks to continue its modernisation, it has tapped experts from Accenture for a new six-year partnership. Accenture becomes the group’s official partner for business and technology advice, while also being named an official patron of some of the most iconic golf championships – The Open, AIG Women’s Open, and ISPS HANDA Senior Open – until 2031.
"Golf is one of the world’s greatest sports, with a rich history and an exciting future, so we are proud to partner with The R&A," said Rob Knigge, a managing director at Accenture. "By applying our expertise in technology, data, and AI, we can work together to make the game accessible to an even wider audience."
Accenture will provide advice to support the R&A’s three strategic priorities: governance, championships, and further development of golf. Specifically, the partnership aims to accelerate the use of technology within golf, and make the sport more accessible to more people worldwide – drawing on Accenture’s expertise in digital technology, cloud, data, and AI to do so.
Mark Darbon, chief executive of The R&A, commented, "Accenture has a renowned global reputation for its expertise in technology, data, and innovation. We view this partnership as a valuable opportunity to support our strategic priorities in golf and shape the future of the sport. Together, we will modernise the way we manage and deliver the game. Our ambition is to inspire people through world-class championships and to position golf as a sport that everyone can enjoy."
