In 1986, she represented GB&I in the Espirito Santo Trophy, World Amateur Golf Team Championships and the Curtis Cup, the latter where she won maximum points.

In March 1987, Johnson turned pro and won three tournaments in her first year, being named Rookie of the Year on the Ladies European Tour.She won four events in 1990 and the Order of Merit, before going on to win an overall 19 tournaments on the Ladies European Tour.

Johnson finished in the top-10 of the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit on 13 occasions, including 2nd place in 2000 and 2004, winning the BMW Ladies Italian Open in 2007. She also has three wins on the LPGA Tour including the Las Vegas LPGA in 1993.

SOLHEIM CUP

A member of the European Solheim Cup team on eight occasions from 1990 through to 2007, she also teamed up with Dame Laura Davies to represent England at the 2007 Women’s World Cup of Golf.

In her senior career, Johnson has won six events on the Legends Tour, including three senior women’s major golf championships – the 2017 and 2021 Senior LPGA Championship, and the 2023 US Senior Women’s Open.

On being appointed MBE, she said: “I’m over the moon to receive such a prestigious honour, just for being lucky enough to play the game I love! My only regret is that my mum and dad are not here to see it, but I know they’ll be looking down with a huge smile on their faces, proud as punch!!”

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The 2025-2030 strategy will see the national governing body operate around its four key pillars which include being; safe, inclusive, sustainable, and inspirational.

With over 1800 affiliated golf clubs and facilities, England Golf aims to support and empower a thriving community of golfers to get the most out of the game.

England Golf has seen golf club membership increase by 8,000 to 730,000 in 2024, while iGolf – catering for golfers without a club to obtain a Handicap Index® – now has over 61,000 subscribers.

The growth hasn’t stopped there either, with over 17,400 iGolfers having now transitioned into club membership since its inception in 2021.

iPlay, a free functionality for golfers to track their progress with an average score indicator, has also seen over 10,000 people register.

And following the launch of the Respect in Golf movement, England Golf has seen all clubs and counties sign its Terms of Affiliation, demonstrating a commitment to making the game more inclusive and accessible to all.

ENGLAND GOLF COMMENTS

England Golf Chief Executive Jeremy Tomlinson said: “I am very proud of all the work the England Golf Board, team and stakeholders have put in to create our “Let’s Inspire More Golfers” 2025-2030 strategic plan.

“As such, I am excited and energised to share with you our fully supported England Golf 2025-2030 strategy “Let’s Inspire More Golfers!”

“The mission, purpose and strategic goals emanate from a strong foundation and learnings earned through delivering our 2021-2025 Course Planner, most definitely setting the stage for our next chapter in promoting the sport we love…golf.

“The beating heart of our new strategy is a simple yet powerful message: “Let’s Inspire More Golfers!”.

“It is essential that golf is relevant in today’s competitive sporting landscape, as such I hope you believe as we do, that together, we can continue to build upon golf’s post-pandemic boom, promoting golf for everyone, however and wherever they wish to play.

“And if we can do that successfully, then we will have the best chance of inspiring more people who participate to call themselves golfers!

“Thank you for joining the drive to Inspire More Golfers.”

England Golf won the Sports Innovation Award at the 2024 Sports Business Awards, and is once again up for two accolades at the 2025 FEVO Sport Industry Awards, with the national governing body nominated for Sport Organisation of the Year and the Wellness at Work award.

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The updated rules on gender policy, which were announced by the LPGA on December 4, will apply to the LPGA Tour, the Epson Tour (which operates a tier below the LPGA Tour in the US), the Ladies European Tour, and all other elite LPGA events, including the US Women’s Open.

Previously, the LPGA allowed players to compete if they had undergone gender-affirming surgery after puberty and met hormone therapy requirements. But these rules have now been changed.

“The LPGA has updated its gender policy for competition eligibility, effective starting with the 2025 season,” the LPGA said in a statement. “The policy – informed by a working group of top experts in medicine, science, sport physiology, golf performance and gender policy law – was developed with input from a broad array of stakeholders and prioritises the competitive integrity of women’s professional tournaments and elite amateur competitions.

“This working group has advised that the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”

The statement added that players recorded as male at birth and who have gone through male puberty “are not eligible to compete in the aforementioned events”.

R&A expected to follow LPGA’s lead

The R&A, which governs golf’s rules outside the US and Mexico, is expected to adopt the same policy from 1 January next year for its women’s championships, including the AIG Women’s Open.

The changes to the rules will prevent Scottish-born American Hailey Davidson from seeking membership of the LPGA Tour. The 31-year-old, who transitioned after playing men’s college golf in the United States, failed to qualify for a card on the leading women’s tour when finishing 95th at the second stage of LPGA Q School in October.

Davidson’s participation prompted widespread protest, with 275 female players signing a letter asking for changes to policies which allowed people recorded male at birth to compete in women’s events.

Davidson played on the men’s team at Wilmington University in Delaware before transferring to the men’s team at Christopher Newport in Virginia.

Responding to the rule change on Instagram, Davidson said: “I can’t say I didn’t see this coming. Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.”

Announcing the changed rule for 2025, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, the commissioner of the LPGA, said: “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach. The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organisation, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.”

In updating its policy, the LPGA follows other governing bodies from sports including swimming and athletics in banning transgender women from competing in the female category at elite level if they have gone through male puberty.

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The landmark initiative creates a pathway for non-collegiate amateur players on to the DP World Tour and partner Tours around the world. The Global Amateur Pathway will complement PGA TOUR University – which awards membership on PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tours to the top Division 1 college golfers at the end of the NCAA Championship – to ensure opportunities are available for elite players across the amateur ranks.

Under the Global Amateur Pathway, the best eligible non-collegiate male amateur within the top 20 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking will receive a DP World Tour card for the following season.

The first Global Amateur Pathway ranking period will conclude on October 13 and the first exemptions will be awarded for the 2025 season.

WAGR comprises a women’s ranking and a men’s ranking for elite amateur players and is offered by The R&A and the USGA as a global service to golf. Players competing in Global Amateur Pathway eligible championships earn points equivalent to the number of points awarded by WAGR.

The Global Amateur Pathway strengthens, and demonstrates the benefits of, the Strategic Alliances forged by the DP World Tour to provide global player pathways. As such, further exemptions will be available on the European Challenge Tour, while the DP World Tour and PGA TOUR are working with seven further partner Tours, within their respective governance process and timelines, to finalise their participation.

Guy Kinnings, DP World Tour Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to offer the very best amateur players new opportunities through the Global Amateur Pathway, alongside our partners at The R&A and PGA TOUR.

“This initiative is the perfect example of the benefits that come from the Strategic Alliances and partnerships that we have forged across the game of golf. The very best amateur players now have similar opportunities to their professional counterparts, with clear pathways across the globe to ultimately compete at the pinnacle of the game.

“This complements the opportunities for collegiate players via PGA TOUR University, and there is no better example of the benefits of that programme than young European Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg, who has grasped every opportunity that has come his way with both hands. Our thanks go to The R&A and PGA TOUR, and to each of the Tours who are coming together to make this dream a reality for the next generation of amateur players.”

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “We are delighted to work in partnership with the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR to launch the Global Amateur Pathway. We care deeply about amateur golf and developing pathways for the most talented players from different regions of the world is one of our fundamental priorities. It is key to the sustainable future of the sport.

“We continue to create opportunities for elite amateurs to compete at the highest level through our leading amateur championships and the Global Amateur Pathway provides the players with a route to the professional ranks. We look forward to watching them progress in their careers and will now explore the opportunities to introduce a similar pathway in the women’s game.”

To be eligible for the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking, amateur golfers must meet the following criteria:

• Not be a current NCAA Division 1 player.
• Be at least 20 years of age by the end of the calendar year of the relevant Ranking Period.
• Be within the top 200 WAGR.
• Players who are outside the top 200 WAGR® by the end of the Registration Period who then move into the top 100 WAGR® at any time prior to the conclusion of the Late Registration Period in the relevant season.

The Global Amateur Pathway Ranking will be published every week on the Global Amateur Pathway page following the registration period, with qualification ending on October 13.

The ranking is designed to identify and rank elite male amateur players competing in eligible tournaments based on their average performance in those tournaments.

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There had been a three-way tie heading into what became a dramatic final day at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, with Australia’s Minjee Lee, American Andrea Lee and Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai level at the top of the leaderboard.

But Saso, 22, produced a run of four birdies in five holes on the back nine to snatch victory by three strokes.

Her two-under-par 68 saw her triumph on four under, with compatriot Hinako Shibuno finishing second.

SECOND US OPEN TITLE

That gave Saso, who switched her international allegiance from the Philippines in 2022, her second LPGA Tour title – both coming at the US Women’s Open. Saso became the first Filipino player to win a major when she clinched her first US Women’s Open title as a teenager in 2021.

“Winning in 2021, I represented the Philippines [and] I feel like I was able to give back to my mom,” Saso said at her trophy presentation. “This year, I was able to represent Japan, and I think I was able to give back to my dad. I’m very happy that I was able to do it.”

Saso suffered an early blow on Sunday when she followed a birdie on the second by four-putting the sixth for a double bogey. But after steadying the ship she stormed clear as only two players in the field to finish under par, with Minjee Lee coming home in 41 for an eight-over 78, while Meechai struggled to a closing 77.

Andrea Lee posted a 75 to share third place with fellow American Ally Ewing, who surged through the field with a closing 66.

Charley Hull finished the highest of the English contingent, tying for 19th on +6 after fighting back with a closing 67, while Jodi Ewart Shadoff was tied for 29th on +9.

TOUGH SCORING CONDITIONS

The Lancaster course proved a particularly tough challenge for the world’s best women’s players this week, with a combination of narrow fairways, long rough and large, fast greens resulting in some unusually high scores.

The cut came at +8 on Friday, with a host of big-name players falling on the wrong side of the mark, including world no.1 Nelly Korda (+10)  and world No.6 Rose Zhang (+11), who fired opening rounds of 80 and 79 respectively and missed the cut along with Brooke Henderson (+12), Lydia Ko (+13), Georgia Hall (+11), Leona Maguire (+10) and Maja Stark (+13). Lexi Thompson, who announced her retirement from professional golf at the start of the week, also made an early exit after shooting rounds of 78 and 75.

Korda’s undoing came as early as her third hole on Thursday when she racked up a septuple-bogey 10 after finding the water three times at the par-3 12th hole during her first round.

Yuka Saso’s winning gear
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9°)
Fairway wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15°)
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (19°)
Irons: Callaway Apex CB (4-5), Callaway Apex MB (6-9)
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Forged Raw (46°, 48°) Callaway Jaws Raw (52°, 56°, 60°)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Milled Three T
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X

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The 34-year-old from Bath entered the final round at Green Eagle GC in Hamburg in a two-way tie at the top of the leaderboard but made a slow start on the Porsche Nord Course, playing his first ten holes in one over par.

But he held his nerve on the back nine with three birdies to sign for a one-under 72 and finish on 13 under, two shots ahead of Bernd Wiesberger and Thriston Lawrence.

Canter has had four runner-up finishes on the DP World Tour, including at the Mauritius Open earlier this season, and he was delighted to finally get over the line on a tense final day in Hamburg after another top-10 at last week’s Soudal Open in Belgium.

Canter said: I’ve always wanted to win on the DP World Tour, and now that I’ve done it it’s going to open up some opportunities for me. If I’m going to try and climb the world rankings and get myself up and playing in the biggest tournaments in the world. You have to win and I think you only get that belief once you do it. Hopefully it means I can push on and go from strength to strength.”

It’s certainly been a strange time for Canter, who joined LIV Golf in 2022, and played as a reserve on the breakaway tour in 2023 as a reserve. He tried to qualify for a place back on the Saudi-backed league for the 2024 season but lost in a play-off at a qualifying event in Abu Dhabi and returned to the DP World Tour at the beginning of this season.

Speaking about his run of near misses over his career, he added: “It’s quite difficult if you feel like you’re not getting it over the line and to have that stigma around you. I’ve always known that I was good enough to win out here, but when you start listening to what others are saying about you it can mess with your head. My realisation was to focus on what my close friends and family are thinking of me and be more immersed in that versus trying to win for someone on Twitter. That’s probably helped me.

“Today I holed a great putt on 15 and 16, those sort of things were happening for me today and from my perspective I kept putting one foot in front of the other. I know how to play golf, I just kept telling myself that.”

For all the scores from the European Open, click here. 

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Despite having not yet named a captain to the lead the US team next year,  The PGA of America has announced the appointment of six-time Ryder Cup caddie Mark Wood to the new role of Team Manager.

Beginning with the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the US Ryder Cup Committee said that Wood will “work closely with the US team captain, vice captains, team members and PGA of America senior management on all strategic and operational matters related to the US Ryder Cup team”.

Wood will provide guidance across a variety of team management areas including player selection, recruitment, motivational strategies, logistical coordination and fostering a positive team environment.

Wood has served as a caddie for four US players in six Ryder Cups, working with Mark Calcavecchia in 2002; Chris Riley in 2004; Hunter Mahan in 2008, 2010 and 2014, and Matt Kuchar in 2016. He also worked as a team assistant during the 2018 Ryder Cup in France.

Following his 20-plus year career as a caddie on the PGA Tour, Wood joined NBC Sports’ golf coverage as an on-course reporter in 2021. He covered the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits and the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.

“We are thrilled to have John join our team as the new US Ryder Cup Team Manager,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. “John is a passionate and dedicated individual. His years of experience in domestic and international team competitions as well as his deep understanding of match play dynamics will be a tremendous asset as we create a strategic plan that delivers success at all future Ryder Cups. I’m not sure that we could have invented a better fit for this role in terms of experience, enthusiasm and relevance.”

“There is nothing, and I mean nothing, in my professional career, that I have been more passionate about than the Ryder Cup,” said Wood. “I have been blessed to be a part of six Ryder Cup Teams as a caddie and two as an NBC Sports on-course reporter and I have treasured every single minute of those special, memorable experiences.

“I am honored to work alongside my friends from the PGA of America, the PGA Ryder Cup Committee, and future Ryder Cup Captains, Vice Captains and team members to help our Captains and teams get ready to compete in one of the greatest sporting events the world has ever seen. I am grateful to NBC Sports for making it possible for me to take on this role, truly a dream job.”

Europe will once again be captained by Luke Donald in 2025, following what was seen as a textbook captaincy in Rome in 2023, when Europe enjoyed a 16.5-11.5 victory.

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The 37-year-old Spaniard entered the final day with a four-shot advantage after opening up with rounds of 64, 64 and 67 around the par-71 course, and he quickly extended that to five after making a birdie at the first hole. But 17 holes later he found himself on the 18th green at 18 under watching playing partner Niklas Nørgaard stand over a birdie putt to force a play-off.

The Dane, however, missed his 12-footer, leaving Elvira to celebrate a one-shot victory, with Frenchman Romain Langasque and home favourite Thomas Pieters in a share of second.

English duo Joe Dean and Matthew Jordan were then at 16 under, with Dean the only player to briefly share the lead with Elvira during a tense fourth round.

Elvira’s victory serves as a reward for some remarkable consistency in a 2024 season where he has missed just one cut by a single shot and finished second at the Kenya Open.

His victory at the 2021 Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor came after a play-off despite him entering the final round with a six-shot advantage and there was a chance that he could need extra holes again as he scrambled over the closing holes.

A broken 2-iron in the warm-up and 23-minute rain delay in the middle of the round added further complications, but Elvira showed remarkable determination to get over the line and seal an emotional victory.

“It’s such a relief,” he said. “I was quite nervous because I wasn’t hitting it that well off the tee. It was all heart the last few holes because I knew I had a couple of driving holes I wasn’t comfortable with. It was tough without the 2-iron, as I needed it a few times today, and I didn’t have that option, but I managed to grind it out and I’m really pleased to have held on.”

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The trio all finished on ten under par after 36 holes at the famed Surrey venue, with each competitor playing one round on each of the Old and New Courses. Nine places were available for the third men’s Major Championship of the year.

Robinson-Thompson was the first of the those to reach ten under par and will make his US Open debut at Pinehurst, less than a year after playing in his first Major Championship at The 151st Open at Hoylake.

The Englishman, who is now based in the United States and previously lived in South Carolina, followed up his first round 68 with a six under par 66. He was then joined on ten under par by compatriot Richard Mansell, who made his U.S. Open debut in 2022, and Scotland’s Forrest, who will be playing in his first US Open.

ROCK ROLLS BACK THE YEARS

Robert Rock, who stepped back from playing on the DP World Tour after the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, made a remarkable comeback as he the 47-year-old carded rounds of 69 and 66 to finish on nine under par.

After learning that he had qualified for Pinehurst, Rock said: “It’s difficult to describe. I really didn’t have any thoughts of qualifying. I thought it was my last chance of playing this event and a good opportunity to see where my game was having been out of it for a couple of years. I thought while I could still enter, I’d see where I’d fit. I played with James Morrison and had such a good day.”

He added: “I wasn’t even sure I could play two rounds, I’ve been playing mostly nine holes and then the back nine has hurt because my back isn’t the best at the moment. It did today, I was struggling on the back nine. Thankfully my mate came to push the trolley. I didn’t think I’d make 36, but it’s amazing what making a few putts does.”

Rock was joined on nine by Yorkshire’s Sam Bairstow, who holed a nervy seven-footer for par on the 36th hole to sign for rounds of 68 and 67, avoiding the prospect of a play-off.

“I started a bit ropey today, but from my ninth hole onwards it was good,” Bairstow commented. “I’m really pleased to get it done with that seven-footer at the last. It looked quite slow, but luckily it was straight uphill, so it wasn’t the worst putt. I thought there would just be three or four people coming down from Sheffield to watch me, so to see 12 or 15 of them was great. When you hole a birdie putt it does spur you on, so it was great for them to be out there.”

Also securing their spots for the US Open were the Italian pair of Matteo Manassero and Edoardo Molinari, Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin and Australian Jason Scrivener, who all faced a nervous wait after reaching eight under par with a number of groups still to finish.

A play-off was eventually required to decide the two alternate spots available. Five competitors finished on seven under par, with Casey Jarvis and Andrea Pavan earning the alternate spots after four extra holes.

Of the 102 players that took part in the tournament, 26 either withdrew or retired after the first round or during the early part of the second round.

For all the scores from Final Qualifying at Walton Heath, click here. 

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Oosterhuis was the dominant force in European golf during the European Tour’s formative years, winning the Order of Merit in the Tour’s first three seasons from 1972 to 1974, having also being crowned European No.1 in 1971. He also topped the Sunshine Tour’s Money List in 1970 and 1971.

In total he won 20 times around the world, finished runner up in both the 1974 and 1982 Open Championships and won six out of his eight singles matches in the Ryder Cup during a celebrated playing career before going on to become a hugely accomplished broadcaster.

Born in London on May 3, 1948, Oosterhuis took up golf at Dulwich and Sydenham Golf Club in London. He enjoyed a prolific amateur career, representing England and Great Britain & Ireland on numerous occasions. He made his senior debut at the Home Internationals in 1966 and represented GB&I at the 1967 Walker Cup.

FROM ROOKIE OF THE YEAR TO EUROPEAN LEGEND

He turned professional in 1968 and won the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award the following year. He made his PGA TOUR debut in 1971 and also made his first Masters Tournament appearance that year.

A first European circuit title followed soon after, winning the Agfa-Gevaert Tournament, as well as the Sunbeam Electric Tournament and Piccadilly Medal as he beat former European Tour Chairman Neil Coles to the Order of Merit title by just seven points.

Oosterhuis made the first of six Ryder Cup appearances in 1971, returning three points from six matches on his debut, including a 3&2 singles victory over Arnold Palmer.

In 1972, the European Tour’s first year, Oosterhuis recorded one win, beating Christy O’Connor Jnr in a play-off at the Penfold-Bournemouth Tournament, and three runner-up finishes as he won the Harry Vardon Trophy for a second consecutive season.

The following season he won three times, claiming the Piccadilly Medal and the French Open before winning the Viyella PGA Championship – now known as the BMW PGA Championship – at Wentworth Club. He also finished third in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National.

In 1974 he finished runner-up to Gary Player at The Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes and, like the previous season, he won three times on the European Tour, defending his French Open title and the finishing the season by winning in consecutive weeks in the Italian Open and the El Parasio Open in Spain.

That took his total European Tour victories to seven and also ensure he finished top of the European money list again with his record of four consecutive Order of Merit victories only bettered by Colin Montgomerie’s seven successive wins from 1993-97.

RYDER CUP SINGLES RECORD

He made his final Ryder Cup appearance in 1981, and although he never featured on a winning team during a period of American dominance, he finished with an individual record of 15.5 points from his 28 matches.

The same year he claimed his sole PGA TOUR victory, as he won the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, and in 1982 he finished runner-up in the Open Championship for a second time, on this occasion to Tom Watson at Royal Troon.

After calling time on his playing career after the 1986 season, he became the club professional at Forsgate Country Club, New Jersey. Six years later he became Director of Golf at Riviera Country Club in California, which has hosted the PGA TOUR’s Genesis Invitational almost every year since 1973.

COMMENTATING CAREER

In 1993, Oosterhuis returned to England and he was given the opportunity by Sky TV to commentate on the PGA Championship at Inverness. This was the start of a second career for the Englishman as he went on to become a renowned broadcaster in the United States, with he and Renton Laidlaw bringing the European Tour to life through the newly established Golf Channel. He joined CBS Sports full-time in 1998 and became one of the game’s most respected analysts.

Having moved with his second wife Ruth Ann to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was a member at Quail Hollow Club, he retired from broadcasting following CBS’s coverage of the 2014 PGA Championship and later revealed he was battling with early-onset Alzheimer’s. He is survived by his wife, sons Rob and Rich, stepsons Byron and Matt and four grandchildren Peyton, Turner, Sutton and Lachlan.

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