With the men’s 2022 World Cup only around the corner, it has got us reminiscing on what was a magnificent summer with 2022 feeling like a real turning point for women in sport. With another Slingsby Golf Academy series coming to a close this month too, our four inspirational celebrity cadets proved that as well as football, golf is another sport where women are breaking down barriers.
Inspiring a generation
Year after year we have longed for it to ‘come home’ and the Lionesses understood that very assignment in the UEFA Women's Euros in July and did something to really bring the country together. As the ladies progressed in the tournament, the support for them grew and grew and viewing figures continuously increased. When the final versus Germany came around on Sunday 31st July, 17.5 million people turned in to see them lift the trophy; making it the most-matched programme of 2022 at that point.
The best bit? England’s win will go on to inspire females across the country, especially young girls, and show them that too can and should give football or any other sport a go themselves!
Golf, girls and G&Ts
Inspired by our Lionesses, we have been doing our bit to promote female participation in sport. With the Slingsby Golf Academy in its second year, the next swing was all about taking 4 new celebrities totally new to golf, giving them 6 months to master the game and following their journey. Zara Tindall, Judy Murray, Dr. Zoe Williams and Anna Woolhouse did amazingly well and certainly experienced the highs and the lows of golf along the way but it was tennis coach and household name Judy Murray who snatched the top spot from the very close runner-up, Olympic equestrian Zara Tindall. What is the winning prize? A spot in the star-studded BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am and a chance to play in front of thousands of spectators.
Whilst the Slingsby Golf Academy series follows the ladies on their golfing journeys and they enjoy our award-winning range of gin, it’s also all about reaching women across the UK that have maybe never thought about trying golf before and encouraging them to do exactly that! Historically, golf has been a man’s game. One that left women feeling intimidated and not sure if they fit in, but we really want to change that. With two years of the Golf Academy under our belt, we’re confident that all 8 of our cadets, including last year’s celebrities, have helped to inspire, encourage and motivate women to take up golf which may just start with a trip to their local driving range. None of our cadets were experienced golfers before they started and now some of them are members of golf clubs, play in charity golf days and have regular lessons to help improve their game.
Does this all sound like something you would be interested in? The Slingsby Golf Academy is available to watch on our YouTube channel and our social media (@slingsbysocial) - as well as some exclusive behind-the-scenes clips. Let's not let the heights of female sport peak in summer 2022; we plan on continuing to drive this momentum for many years to come!