Neil Donaldson announced as next captain of The R&A

Mr Donaldson has been nominated by the Past Captains of the Club and will begin his year in office with the traditional Driving-in ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course on September 22, 2023.

As the captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, he will serve as an ambassador for the club and attend R&A championships around the world.

Mr Donaldson became a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 1992 and has served on a number of committees, including as chairman of the Club Committee, deputy chairman of the General Committee, chairman of the Heritage Committee and was the first chairman of the Nominations Sub-Committee. He also served on the board of the then British Golf Museum.

“It’s a real honour to be taking on this historic role as the captain of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club,” said Mr Donaldson. “I’m extremely proud to have been nominated by the former captains and look forward to representing golf, the club and The R&A for the year ahead.”

Mr Donaldson, who lives in St Andrews with his wife Val, plays to a handicap of 12.5 and next year will mark his 50th year as a member of Lundin Golf Club. He is also a member of Vila Sol in Portugal.

He will succeed Welshman Clive Brown, a renowned international golfer who enjoyed a successful playing career before captaining the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team.

A successful businessman for more than 45 years, Mr Donaldson has enjoyed a long career in the timber industry and is a passionate supporter of timber. In 1988 he became the first Scottish chairman of the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA). He was also president of the Scottish Timber Trade Association (STTA) from 2004 - 2006 and was president of the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) from 2006 – 2008.

Mr Donaldson won the Lifetime Achievement category in the 2020 TTJ Awards.