THE GBQ PODCAST
“Every time you go to a golf course, the first question is ‘how do we get more girls to play golf?’”
Suzann Pettersen believes the professional game has a responsibility to spread the word of golf to women and girls across the world
GOLFERS and the professional tours have a “continuous responsibility” to introduce young girls into the sport.
Speaking to Sarah Stirk on The GBQ Podcast, former Solheim Cup captain and two-time major winner Suzann Pettersen said that while the sport would like to think it was doing enough to change the perception of women’s golf at grassroots level, “every time you go to a golf course, the first question is ‘how do we get more girls to play golf?’”
Participation for women and girls is on the rise, with recent R&A figures revealing that in their nine biggest markets, they made up 31% of total participation and 25% of all 9 and 18-hole adult golfers. In other formats, the governing body’s research says that women make up 50% of total adult participation.
Pettersen, who has founded VOXA – a company entirely dedicated to elevating women’s golf – told the podcast that women’s golf was still lagging behind other sports that have seen surges in popularity, such as football and rugby.
“So being present, being on the ground, you know how much it means for a young girl if she gets an autograph”
Asked by Stirk whether at the grassroots level more women and girls were getting involved in the game, Pettersen said there was a responsibility to spread the word of the game across the world.
She said: “I think we can look back to when the LPGA first started going to Thailand to play. I remember those days. There were no Thai players on tour when we first went there.
“It could be 15 years ago and look now at how many Thai girls play and compete on the LPGA today. It’s also our responsibility to go to places in the world where women’s golf is not as big.
“If we can go and inspire new young girls to at least get introduced to the game of golf then I think we’ve done a great job. I really believe that’s our responsibility as well.
“So being present, being on the ground, you know how much it means for a young girl if she gets an autograph or she gets a signed ball. It’s enough for somebody to be inspired to chase their own dreams.
“That’s a continuous responsibility – a responsibility that we all have.”
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