Lunn Awarded International Woman, sponsored by Perry Ellis

Congratulations to Karen Lunn for being awarded the International Woman, sponsored by Perry Ellis!

From Tour player to CEO of the WPGA – golf around the world owes huge gratitude and respect to Karen.  As CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, Karen has significantly raised the profile of Australasian women’s professional golf, while also fostering golf at every level in the country.

Notable career highlights include steering the then Australian Ladies Professional Golf to a collaborative alliance with the PGA of Australia and creating the Women’s Professional Golf Tour Australasia which offered more opportunities for fledging and developmental players.  In 2022 Karen became the first woman to chair the Australian Golf Industry Council, a forum to help organisations and businesses throughout the golf industry unite on initiatives, strategy and policy.

The Women in Golf Awards is an annual event celebrating the significant contribution that women, past and present, continue to make to the golf industry.  The event was established by Nicole Wheatley and Ben Blackburn whose combined experience in the golf world led them to identify a need to create a platform that would connect, celebrate and inspire the industry.

The Awards bring together women from every sector at all stages of their careers, showing the diverse nature of the roles women hold in the industry.

Now in its third year, the awards showcase the work of women from across all industry sectors and provide an important platform that inspires more women to consider a career in golf.

As part of its mission to promote women in golf, the awards organisers announced an exciting new collaboration with Colt McKenzie McNair and Bernhard Academy. All finalists and sponsors will come together in spring 2025 for a networking and educational day hosted at PING HQ that will elevate and inspire their continued progress in the industry.

“Many of the barriers that faced me and my predecessors have been demolished, so now is a great time to start to better understand what our future leaders need,” commented awards founder Nicole Wheatley. “This educational day will work both ways.  We want to provide the 24 finalists with valuable leadership training, but also find out how they think golf can attract more talented women, like them, to work in the industry.”

On the night, BBC sports presenter Katherine Downes presented awards in 10 categories, spanning all areas of the industry.

The other 2024 winners were:

Unsung Hero, sponsored by England Golf – Di Stock, Chief Referee Hampshire Ladies Golf

Di’s selfless commitment to women’s golf within Hampshire over the past 36 years, amassing a conservative estimate of 550 voluntary days refereeing alone is astounding.  She has been County Handicap Advisor since 1988, ran the County Inter-Club knock-out competitions for 5 years; was County President for 3 years and for 27 years she has selflessly given her time to referee at county and other national amateur events, including the Curtis Cup.

Brand of the Year, sponsored by the BGIA – The Grove

The Grove has developed a culture and brand that values women.  Over 49% of its workforce are women, with 75% of the senior leadership team being female.  From hosting the Rose Series to its golf recruitment campaigns, the investment the brand makes in women, both on and off the course, has created an inclusive culture that enables more women and girls to maximise their potential at all levels of the industry and through the sport itself.

Women’s Initiative, sponsored by PING – Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club ‘Blue Course’, Barbara Tucker

When Barbara Tucker was Lady Captain in 2014, she created The ‘Blue Course’ programme as an innovate solution to address the myriad of issues which prevented & discouraged women from learning golf and joining the golf club.  The ‘blue course’ has significantly shorter tees, provides group lessons, gives free use of facilities, and hosts social events as well as rules seminars alongside experienced golfers.  10 years later, Barbara’s Blue Course can be credited with providing an influx of new members which has ensured the ladies section continues to thrive.  The current Ladies section Treasurer, Secretary, Competitions Secretary and Lady Captain are all Blue Course alumni.

Women in Turfcare, sponsored by BIGGA – Anna Nilsson, Deputy Head Greenkeeper of the Brabazon Golf Course at The Belfry

Anna is an extremely talented greenkeeper whose course bears testament to her unwavering dedication, expertise and passion all of which has helped to secure the return of the British Masters to The Belfry in 2025.  Anna is also dedicated to inspiring future greenkeepers, coaching students and visiting schools to talk to children about working in the industry.  Anna’s encouragement is making a huge impact on everyone she meets and her success is inspiring young women to take up a career in Turfcare.

Women PGA Professional, sponsored by TGI Golf Partnership – Sarah Bennett

Sarah Bennett is one of the most recognised figures in women’s golf in the UK.  Sarah has dedicated herself to golf’s growth throughout her 34-year pro career, focusing on inclusion and bringing more women into the game.  Sarah has been Essex Girls Head Coach since 2012, worked in a voluntary capacity for the WPGA and on the PGA Executive Committee and was recently PGA Captain, becoming only the second woman to hold that post.  She is a familiar sight at The Open where she has delivered coaching in the SwingZone for over 10 years.

Women’s Leadership, sponsored by the GCMA – Becca Hembrough, England Golf Performance Manager (Female Golf)

Over the past 10 years, Becca has led England to become the most successful women’s golf team in Europe. In 2022/3 she championed the development of a new strategy for England Golf Performance, which is already bearing fruit.  In 2024 one of her players was ranked World no. 1 – a first for an English amateur golfer, all 3 female teams won a medal in the European Team Championships (gold for U18s) and 4 players were named for the Curtis Cup, who beat the USA.  Becca has also demonstrated leadership through the Project Ukraine programme, which has had a huge impact on the golf world.

Rising Star, sponsored by Club Car – Molly Pavey, Group General Manager Bramshaw Golf Club and Paultons Golf Centre

In 2 years, Molly has quickly risen through the ranks to become General Manager at Bramshaw Golf Club as well as sister venue Paultons Golf.  Molly has been instrumental in bringing Girls Golf Rocks and Golf Rookies to the group and both venues have signed the Women in Golf Charter under her stewardship this year.  Molly was one of only 3 recipients of the ECEF’s Young Managers Bursary in 2024, allowing her to continue to grow and learn.  Molly has also joined the Hampshire Ladies Board as Governance Director demonstrating her ongoing commitment to the game.

Special Award – Trailblazers – Fiona Womack and Sharon Eales

Fiona and Sharon have developed a scientific model that represents a paradigm shift in golf course design.  For so many women (and men) the shortest tees are still too long and often not in a great position.  This means that many women do not enjoy the same experience on the course as men.  Their model creates a scaled version of the courses that the architect wanted every golfer to play, incorporating all of the same experiences, using the same clubs for the same shots, tackling the same hazards, just with fewer yards involved.  This new approach has already attracted interest from leading golf course architects including Tom Mackenzie, the R&A’s Handicap Committee, the WHS Operations Committee and various governing bodies.

Special Award – Inspirational Achievement – Adele McLean, Managing Director TGI Golf

This year, nearly two decades after joining TGI Golf, Adele McLean accepted the role of Managing Director and looks to continue building on the success TGI Golf has enjoyed over the last 40 years.  Her journey from the driving range to heading up the UK  & Ireland’s leading golf retail services business is nothing short of inspirational.  Her appointment was celebrated far and wide by women and men across the industry who recognised the incredible impact she has had on the business and demonstrates to other women what can be achieved when there are no glass ceilings.