Tim Rouse has been appointed Captain of The PGA for 2023 after serving his term as captain-elect.
Rouse adds his name to a list of illustrious PGA captains that includes Peter Alliss, Sir Henry Cotton, Max Faulkner, Bobby Locke, James Braid and three-time Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.
The 63-year-old replaces the outgoing Sarah Bennett, who became the Association’s second female captain last year, and will take up the ambassadorial role for the next 12 months.
Commenting on Rouse’s appointment, Robert Maxfield, Chief Executive of The PGA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tim Rouse in taking up the honour of becoming Captain of The PGA. Tim is a well-respected PGA Member among his peers and I believe he will be an excellent ambassador for the Association in the role over the next 12 months. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Tim’s predecessor Sarah Bennett for the work and effort she put into the role as only the second ever female Captain of the Association.”
Rouse has described becoming PGA Captain as the highlight of what has been a varied and hugely successful career in golf spanning four decades.
Rouse was a PGA Board Member for eight years, but had not given the role of the Association’s Captain much thought. That is until the last 18 months or so since he was invited to become the Association’s 83rd Captain.
“I never dreamt of it, never thought about being asked and it was not on my radar at all,” he admits. When the Association’s chairman Alan White rang me up, I was quite taken aback. It’s one of those things that, having been around a lot of captains, I wish I’d paid more attention to what they were doing at the time.”
Rouse completed his PGA training in 1979 and on qualifying at Lilleshall, he spent three years as the head assistant professional at Stoke by Nayland in Suffolk, before taking on his first role as head pro at Coventry Hearsall Golf Club.
Peter Laugher
He then turned his hand to course design: a member of the Professional Golfers’ Architects’ Association, he designed courses in Tarporley, Cheshire, and East Sussex. He was also a PGA swing instructor and examiner from 1983 until 2019, which gives a clue as to his first love.
“Designing courses, supervising the build and setting up the clubhouses was an interesting thing to do but it kept me away from golf and teaching,” explains Rouse. “So, when the opportunity to become head pro at Northamptonshire County Golf Club arose, I jumped at it. Stuart Brown, who was the pro, rang me up and asked what I was doing. He told me he was about to leave to go to Slaley Hall and said he thought I’d be good for the club. I applied, he put in a good word, and I was offered the job.”
Fast forward 33 years and Rouse has become part of the fabric at the club which lies between Northampton and Althorp House.
“Teaching golf is the most satisfying part of the job,” he says. “Taking someone who is struggling with their game or learning to play golf and seeing their face when they play a good shot. That’s the part I enjoy the most.”
One of Rouse’s biggest successes is the part he has played in former Ryder Cup star and six times European Tour winner Paul Broadhurst’s success on the Legends and PGA Champions Tours. Broadhurst has clocked up a combined total of 11 victories on the two tours since enlisting Rouse’s help as a coach when his career was at a crossroads.
For almost every coach, playing a key role in a golfer excelling on the world stage would be the highlight of his or her career. Rouse, however, has a trump card. “It’s been quite a career,” he adds. “But being appointed PGA Captain tops the whole thing.
“I’m very, very proud, very honoured and didn’t expect it at all. It’s been a bit of a shock, but I’m thrilled and delighted.”
Reflecting on her Captaincy, Bennett added: “The year of 2022 as PGA Captain will be etched in my memory as my greatest achievement during my golfing career. My term as PGA Captain certainly took me out of my comfort zone of which I am now hugely grateful. The situations have provided me with new skills, experiences and opportunities to help develop golf as a whole, whilst trying to promote the Association, our membership and introducing new ideas.
“I have been totally overwhelmed and humbled with the support I have received from my fellow PGA Members and PGA staff, not only in the UK but worldwide. It is this connection which I believe is vital within our industry. I would like to wish Tim Rouse all the very best during his term. Tim will certainly lead The PGA forwards in a professional manner which will connect with our membership in all areas. He will be the perfect role model.”