The R&A today announces the appointment of Colin Phillips as its first Director, Asia-Pacific. Phillips, Executive Director of the Australian Golf Union for more than 25 years, takes up his new post with immediate effect. He will be will be based in Melbourne but will spend time travelling throughout the region.
Speaking from St Andrews, Scotland, R&A Director, Mike Tate, said, “We are delighted that Colin Phillips is joining us. It has been our ambition for some time to have a director permanently based in the region and Colin Phillips has the talents and authority we need to develop our presence in an increasingly important part of the world for our sport.
“Stepping up our activity in the region, working with our affiliated organisations, will benefit from permanent representation on the ground. Almost one in five of the national golfing bodies affiliated to The R&A is located in the Asia-Pacific region, representing a quarter of the world’s golfers.”
The 23 countries or territories in the Asia-Pacific region with golfing bodies affiliated to The R&A are: Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vanuatu.
The R&A has established an International Final Qualifying event for The Open Championship in the region and supports both the Asia-Pacific Men’s and the Asian Ladies’ International Amateur Team Championships.
The Open Championship continues to grow in popularity in the Asia-Pacific region, with a record 680 hours of coverage from the 2005 Open at St Andrews, transmitted in 43 territories by fifteen broadcast organisations.
In recent months The R&A has staged Rules of Golf Schools in Singapore, Korea and China and has supported the China-Scotland Golf Education Partnership since the year 2000 committing funds totalling over £900,000 to the project.
Additionally, in 2005, The R&A’s founding club, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews selected its Captain for the year from the Asia-Pacific region, The Rt Hon Justice Thomas Munro Gault from New Zealand.
The R&A operates with the consent of more than 125 national and international, amateur and professional organisations from over 110 countries and on behalf of an estimated 28 million golfers in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific and The Americas (outside the USA and Mexico).
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