Gareth Bale joins Niall Horan to help push R&A's drive to increase golf participation

Niall Horan and Gareth Bale will support a golf participation drive by The R&A and help inspire new audiences into the sport. Pic by R&A/Getty Images

Footballer Gareth Bale has agreed to become a global ambassador for St Andrews-based The R&A.

The Welsh international, who plays off a handicap of just two, will support the governing body to help inspire new audiences around the world into playing golf.

Bale, who has over 100 million followers on social media, will join former One Direction signer Niall Horan and his Modest! Golf company in backing a drive to encourage more people into playing golf, including women and young people, by using the power of influencers from the sports and entertainment world to broaden its appeal and boost its image.

Phil Anderton, chief development officer at The R&A, said: “Gareth’s passion for golf is clear for everyone to see and he will play an influential role in supporting the new golfer initiatives we are working on with Modest! Golf and plan to introduce this year.

“We want to reach new audiences who are not yet aware of golf’s many great benefits, including health and wellbeing, and believe role models like Gareth can help inspire more women and young people into the sport and enhance golf’s reputation with millions of followers worldwide.”

Real Madrid winger Bale, a partner in the golf division at ICM Stellar Sports, said it had always been an ambition of his to encourage more people to take up the sport and he was “honoured” by the opportunity.

The partnership builds on The R&A’s appointment of Modest! Golf to work on developing a series of future grassroots programmes aimed at inspiring more people into golf.