Mark Darbon named new chief executive at St. Andrews

Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior AuthorJul 1, 2024, 09:01 AM ET

CloseSenior school soccer author
Writer of seven books on school soccer
Graduate of the College of Georgia

The R&A has tabbed rugby membership CEO Mark Darbon as its new chief government and secretary of The Royal and Historical Golf Membership of St. Andrews in Scotland, the governing board introduced on Monday.

Darbon, CEO of the Northampton Saints, replaces Martin Slumbers, who introduced on Jan. 10 that he’s retiring on the finish of this yr.

„I’m thrilled and honored to be taking on these positions with The R&A and The Royal and Historical Golf Membership of St Andrews and to be transferring into golf, a sport I’ve all the time beloved,“ Darbon mentioned in an announcement.

„The R&A is a globally famend group and does a lot to make sure that golf prospers from grassroots by to the skilled recreation. I’m trying ahead to working with a massively gifted staff of workers, the membership membership and such a formidable array of companion organizations to realize much more success within the years to come back.“

Darbon, 45, is a former senior member of the London Olympic Video games and Paralympic Video games organizing committee. Final month, he helped information the Northampton Saints to their first Premiership title since 2014.

Darbon beforehand labored as senior vp of Powerful Mudder and CEO of Madison Sports activities Group, which created a global sequence {of professional} monitor biking occasions.

„We had been vastly impressed with Mark’s data and expertise of the worldwide sport business and his capacity to develop profitable groups and ship implausible occasions,“ R&A md Niall Farquharson mentioned in an announcement. „We consider he will probably be a superb chief for The R&A and The Royal and Historical Golf Membership of St Andrews and can play a key position in serving to us to realize our aim of guaranteeing a affluent and sustainable future for golf.“

Slumbers, who served within the position for the previous 9 years, will oversee this month’s Open Championship, scheduled for July 18-21 at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland, and the AIG Ladies’s Open on the Previous Course at St. Andrews on Aug. 22-25.

DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley stepped down in April and accepted a job with Maple Leaf Sports activities and Leisure in his native Canada. On Wednesday, PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh introduced that he was not renewing his contract, which expired Sunday.