The man with the reputation of having led England’s best-run rugby union club is the man chosen to take over one of the most influential roles in world golf.
Mark Darbon’s appointment as the new Chief Executive of The R&A comes at a time when professional golf is embroiled in unprecedented uncertainty.
The 45-year-old will step down as manager of Premiership title holders Northampton Saints to take over from Martin Slumbers at the St Andrews-based governing body.
It’s a crucial role given the current battle for the future of men’s professional golf.
Slumbers was seen as an influential forum for discussion after the launch of the Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Circuit in 2022 prompted a wave of high-profile exodus of players from the established PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
He succeeded Peter Dawson in 2015 and will step down from the role after overseeing this summer’s British Open, AIG Women’s Open and Curtis Cup.
Slumbers is considered the most progressive leader in the R&A’s long history: He championed women’s golf, oversaw an increase in recreational participation and sought to soften the game’s stuffy, elitist image.
A former international banker, he also brought his business acumen to help lead the British Open to sell-out crowds at the U.S. Open, a move that was unpopular with die-hard fans but made good commercial sense.
Importantly, the British Open has continued to thrive as a business despite spending much of the past decade on pay-per-view television.
Darbon seems well qualified to build on the Slumbers’ success, including helping to sustain the post-COVID participation boom the sport has enjoyed over the past few years.
While golf has flourished since the pandemic, it has been a much tougher environment for professional rugby clubs, but Darbon has won praise for leading Northampton through these difficult times.
The new golfing chairman, who is expected to succeed Bill Sweeney as Rugby Football Union chairman, helped his club break revenue records last season as Saints won their first league title since 2014.
Unlike many of their rivals, Northampton do not have a patronage or other revenue stream and are self-sufficient.
Darbon has held several senior roles during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, including Director of Olympic Park Operations during the 2012 Games.
He then became Senior Vice President of Tough Mudder in New York, where he was responsible for planning, promoting and hosting mass participation events in North America, Latin America, Europe and Australia.
In his new role, he will oversee the Rules of Golf in cooperation with the United States Golf Association (USGA), as well as running the British Open and other prestigious events, and will also serve as secretary of the 270-year-old Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
“I am delighted and honoured to take up these roles with The R&A and The Royal and Ancient,” he said, “and delighted to be working with golf, a sport I have always loved.”
He will inherit a tough task: Prize money has skyrocketed with the inflationary introduction of LIV, and the British Open will struggle to keep up with other U.S.-based majors.
Last month’s US Open, organised by the USGA, the US equivalent of the R&A, boasted a record prize purse of $21.5 million (£17 million). Women’s golf also faces the thorny issue of a widening gender pay gap.
Darbon will have influence over the implementation of controversial new rules that will limit the distance a golf ball can be hit, taking effect in 2028 – a move the PGA Tour remains opposed to.
His arrival comes at an exciting time in golf, with the PGA, which runs the PGA Championship and the U.S. Ryder Cup team, also searching for new leadership following the impending retirement of CEO Seth Waugh.
Darvon is a single finger handicap golfer who plays for Northamptonshire and Santon in Devon.
“We are extremely impressed with Mark’s knowledge and experience of the global sports industry, as well as his ability to develop successful teams and produce great events,” said R&A Chairman Neil Farquharson.
“I believe he will be an excellent leader for the R&A and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and will play a key role in achieving our goal of ensuring a thriving and sustainable future for golf.”
