The future of golf depends not only on those who play the game, but on those who lead, teach, manage, innovate, and shape its culture.
Recognising this, the Women in Golf Awards, in partnership with The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation, are launching a new bursary scheme to unlock educational and professional development opportunities for women under 21 who aspire to build meaningful careers in the golf industry.
This new initiative represents a significant step toward addressing one of the sport’s most persistent challenges: ensuring that talented young women are supported at critical moments in their development.
Too often, promising careers stall not because of a lack of ability or ambition, but because access to training, qualifications, or industry pathways is financially or logistically out of reach.
The bursary, which totals £10,000 per annum, will fund continuing professional development courses delivered by golf’s governing bodies or their approved educational providers.
Importantly, the scheme will also consider applications for other activities that demonstrably progress women’s careers within golf, reflecting the diverse and evolving opportunities available across the industry.
Applications will open twice annually via the Women in Golf Awards website, ensuring ongoing access and flexibility for candidates as they reach different stages of their journey.
“This is an initiative that we have been working on since the first Women in Golf Awards, so we are incredibly grateful to the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation for supporting our ambition to help nurture the future female leaders of our industry,” said Nicole Wheatley, Founder of the Women in Golf Awards.
“There are many incredibly talented young women in the industry who reach a crossroads in their careers. If we can provide funding for them to access training and development opportunities that inspire them to achieve their ambitions within golf, the industry as a whole will benefit.”
That belief—that investing in individuals strengthens the entire ecosystem of the sport—sits at the heart of this partnership.
The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation has long championed golf as a vehicle for opportunity, education, and long-term personal development, particularly for young people in the UK.
“This partnership with the Women in Golf Awards is an extension of the work we are already carrying out as a Foundation,” commented Kate Rose, Chair of The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation.
“We aim to enable young people to experience the lifetime rewards of golf, not only as a sport, but also by providing access to wider opportunities within the golf industry and golfing community.
We are looking forward to reading the applications, learning more about the young women who are choosing golf as their career, and seeing where this bursary takes them.”
The first application window will open on 1 February 2026.
Applicants must be under 21 on the day of application and provide full details of the education, training, or development opportunity for which they are seeking support.
At a time when golf is actively working to become more inclusive, representative, and future-focused, this bursary sends a powerful message: talent deserves opportunity, and ambition should be supported.
By backing young women at formative stages of their careers, the Women in Golf Awards and The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation are not only changing individual trajectories—they are helping to shape a stronger, more diverse future for the game itself.
For full details and to apply, visit:
Share of female PGA Professionals by countries
- In the United States, about 5% of PGA Professionals are women (roughly 1,500 out of nearly 29,000 PGA of America members).
- GB&I: No recent publicly reported overall female share percentage from the official source; earlier analyses suggest female PGA representation has historically been low (<3–5%).
- PGA of Sweden reportedly has a higher female membership share than the PGA of South Africa, which was reported at about 7% — already above many other PGAs.
- PGA of South Africa: Reportedly one of the more gender‑balanced PGAs in terms of membership, with approximately 7% female PGA professionals at the time of reporting, and leadership initiatives to grow that share.
- A general industry analysis of 21 national PGA organisations (study published by Gather Golf) found that, across these associations, the percentage of women in PGA membership ranges from about 3% to 15%, with the top end (~15%) representing the highest share observed. This suggests that the national PGA with the highest share of female PGA Professionals in the sample had ~15% female members.