The Past Captains, having conferred together, are pleased to announce that they have nominated Graeme Maxwell Simmers CBE as Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club for the year 2001-2002.
Graeme Simmers was born in Glasgow in 1935 and was educated at Glasgow Academy and Loretto School. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1959 and was a director and chairman of the Scottish Highland Hotels Group, a member of the Scottish Tourist Board from 1979-1986 and chairman of the Scottish Sports Council from 1992-1999.
He received the OBE for services to tourism in 1982 and the CBE for services to sport in 1998.
In a rugby career with Glasgow Academicals spanning 17 years, he was captain for four years and was selected for the Glasgow XV and for Scottish Districts in their match against the Springboks. He played for Lorretto in the Halford Hewitt for 12 years and is the current president of the Old Lorettonian Golfing Society.
Graeme Simmers joined the R&A in 1975 and served on the Rules of Golf Committee from 1978-1982. He was also on the Championship Committee from 1983-1991 and during the last three years in that committee served as its Chairman. He was Chairman of the Championship Committee of the Loch Lomond World Invitational from 1996-2000.
During National Service he was commissioned in the Royal Marines and is currently the Honorary Colonel of the Royal Marine Reserve in Scotland.
Graeme Simmers is married to Jennifer and has four children, Mark, Corrine, Kirsty and Peter. He is a member of Buchanan Castle Golf Club, Prestwick Golf Club and Loch Lomond Golf Club and lives in Balfron, near Glasgow.
Royal & Ancient Golf Club www.RandA.org