THE Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) said today a “fundamental shift” in golf’s culture is required to tackle gender imbalance after launching a new inclusive charter today.

The Women in Golf Charter aims to increase the number of females playing and working in the game.

The Ladies European Tour, the European Golf Association and the Professional Golfers’ Association are among the organisations to have already committed to the document, along with the governing bodies of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.