The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has announced that Claire Dowling will serve as Captain in 2026/27 after being nominated by the Club’s Past Captains.
Dowling will become the first woman to hold the role in the Club’s history. She is set to begin her year in office following the traditional Driving-in ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course on Friday, 25 September 2026.
A highly accomplished amateur golfer, Dowling represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup on four occasions. She was also part of the historic 1986 GB&I team that secured the side’s first victory over the United States on American soil, defeating the USA 13-5 at Prairie Dunes.
Born and educated in Dublin, Dowling attended Dublin College of Catering before graduating from Trinity College in 1979 with a BSc (Mgt) in Hotel and Catering Management.
Her amateur playing career spanned more than a decade at the highest level. Dowling represented Ireland in the Home Internationals from 1979 to 1992 and competed in six European Team Championships during that period. She also represented Great Britain and Ireland twice in the Espirito Santo Trophy and played six times in the Vagliano Trophy.
Dowling claimed five Irish Championships, winning her first title in 1983. She also captured the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 1986 and the Spanish Amateur Championship in 1987. In addition, she reached the semi-finals of what is now known as the Women’s Amateur Championship in both 1981 and 1988.
Following her playing career, Dowling continued to contribute to the game through leadership and administration. She captained the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team in 2000, when the side suffered a narrow 10-8 defeat to the United States at Ganton. She also served as captain of both the Vagliano Trophy team and the Irish national team.
Away from competition, Dowling has played a significant role in golf governance. After the merger of the English Golf Union (EGU) and the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) in 2012, she chaired England Golf’s Handicap and Course Rating Committee. She also sat on the CONGU board from 2012 to 2015 and served as an advisory member of The R&A Amateur Status Committee between 1997 and 2001.
Dowling was among the first women admitted to membership at The Royal and Ancient Golf Club in 2015. She later served on the Rules Committee from 2015 to 2019 and became Deputy Chair in 2017. Elected to the General Committee in 2019, she was appointed Deputy Chair in 2022 and currently serves on the Membership Committee.
She has also officiated at The Open Championship on seven occasions. At Royal St George’s in 2021, Dowling and her husband Peter, a retired District Judge, became the first married couple to referee at the same Championship.
Recognised as a leading figure in Irish women’s golf, Dowling is an honorary life member of the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union and holds the same distinction at several golf clubs, including Portmarnock, Copt Heath, Woodbrook and Cork. She is also a member of East Devon Golf Club and currently plays off a Handicap Index of 7.6.
