ST. ANDREWS -- The Royal & Ancient Golf Club will vote in September on whether to have women as members for the first time in its 260-year history. A statement from the club Wednesday said all committees are "strongly in favour of the rule change and are asking members to support it." The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews has about 2,400 members from around the world and dates to 1754. The clubhouse is among the most famous buildings in golf, overlooking the Old Course at St. Andrews. Pressure has been building in recent years on the R&A to change its men-only policy, especially after Augusta National Golf Club announced in August 2012 that it was inviting two women to join -- former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina financier Darla Moore. The British Open last year was held at Muirfield, one of three links courses on the Open rotation that does not allow female members. "This is welcome news from the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and I urge its members to follow their committees recommendations and vote yes for women members," British sports minister Helen Grant said in a statement. "It would mark a step in the right direction for the sport and I would hope encourage the remaining golf clubs that still have anachronistic single-sex member policies to follow suit." It was unclear how a favourable vote would affect whether golf clubs that host the Open would change their policies. The next Open at a male-only club is in 2016 at Royal Troon. The R&A governs golf everywhere in the world except for the United States and Mexico. It also organizes the British Open and other championships. However, it shifted responsibility for the Open and administering the Rules of Golf to a separate entity in 2004 known as The R&A. 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Buehrle is 10-4 with a 2.32 earned run average, but has lost his last three starts, including a 7-3 setback at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday. Nike Shoes Black Friday Discount . The actual winners on transfer deadline day are those clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City who were well prepared and managed to get their main incoming business done well ahead of the transfer window closing. Tottenham were able to add seven players by spending over 100 million pounds and also ensured maximum return for the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid by managing the move superbly.Sky Sports created a world first for live golf coverage at the 2015 British Masters when Nick Dougherty agreed to wear a microphone during the tournament. Here, he tells us what the experience was like and reflects on an outstanding week at Woburn. Were you wary of being micd up on the course?ND: Not really, I just think it was a natural progression for golf. I remember being a massive fan when it was introduced in cricket, and I have fond memories of Kevin Pietersen speaking to the commentary box while he was at the crease, talking about how the wicket was playing and how his innings was going. In a world first for live golf coverage, Nick Dougherty is interviewed by the Sky Sports commentary team during his first round at the British Masters As a viewer, you cant get any closer to the action than that, and its an ideal set-up for golf. Theres plenty of time to chat between shots, and I was happy to do that during last years event on the par threes.My only concerns were how it was going to affect my concentration, and also how it would affect my playing partners. I didnt want to hold them up or distract them while I was talking to the viewers. But it was all fine. Nobody had to wait and everyone that has spoken to me about it thought it was a fantastic insight and a great idea overall. And there were many other professionals at Woburn that were genuinely excited about what we were doing, so thats fantastic for Sky and great for the European Tour as well. We have some big characters in Europe and the opportunity to do this gave us a chance to show what were like as individuals.Hopefully it will inspire others to give it a go. Keith Pelley, the European Tour chief executive, said he loved the innovation. When someone of his stature says that, its good for the future. Keith has a background in media, so he appreciates that we have to keep the game moving forward and this is one way to do that. Dougherty speaks to Ewen Murray for the first time in round one It is a great feeling to have helped the viewers actually be at Woburn, to help them grasp what was going on and let them know exactly what a player is feeling and what the course is like. This is something we could see more often, maybe with more than one player.Every time you were live, you had putter in hand. Coincidence? ND: I actually played the par threes really well. I birdied the first one in the first round, but they missed me after that one! But I hit some great irons into the short holes and I had a good look at birdie every time the commentary box came to me.I was pretty much the closest to the pin each time I was live on air, apart from the last one when I hit into the greenside bunker. But I was so pleased with how I played on the first day, it made it so much easier. It was like I was doing normal comms because I was in a great place. During his second round at the British Masters from Woburn, Nick Dougherty took time out to explain to Ewan Murray what went wrong for him Unfortunately I really battled with my game on the second day and I didnt play well, which made it more challenging to speak to the guys, but also more authentic.ddddddddddddI was very open and honest about how disappointed I was to miss the cut, and I hope that came across as legitimate.I suppose a lot of viewers would love to know how a player is feeling when hes having a bad day out there, and I was able to give them that insight. I think it was great for the viewers to be able to take that on board.How enjoyable was it to present the live Masterclasses? ND: They were absolutely brilliant. I know these players very well and doing them was a lot of fun. The players were brilliant to - Luke Donald in particular really lit up when he was doing the putting masterclass.It is nice that theyre giving something back to the game, and its great for all the kids watching and taking notes. Its something that Id watch, and you can really learn so much from these guys. Luke Donald celebrates with Nick after nailing a huge putt in Fridays Masterclass Id watch Lee Westwood driving, Id watch Luke Donald putting, and Padraig Harrington describing how best to get out of bunkers. This is because I know theyre better than me, and I was once in the top 50 players in the world.So if I can learn something, then your average handicapper can benefit hugely, as can the kids who have just started out and looking to be inspired. The masterclasses were fun, very educational and made for great viewing. Watch NOW TV Watch Sky Sports for just ?￡6.99. No contract. Are you aware of the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the coverage on social media?ND: It made me want to have a Twitter account! In all seriousness, the reaction from the public was great, and I was delighted to have been a part of that. That was our goal at Sky during the week, to produce something different and make it a great experience for the viewers and the spectators at Woburn. The first live Masterclass featured Lee Westwood giving tips on driving The public clearly enjoyed all the new innovations, and I was really pleased that the Masterclasses went down so well. Its something I think we have needed for a long time, since I used to do one at the Wales Open thinking this would look great on TV.Its good for your profile, it makes you feel good to be a part of, and its something Im sure well do more of in the future. And the fact the reaction has been so good should mean its the way forward.You can watch Englands tour of Bangladesh, plus Premier League football and the British Masters on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy three months at half price! Also See: World TV first for Dougherty Poulter proud of tournament Masters return to boost golf Get British Masters tickets ' ' '