THE R&A and Accenture have announced a new six-year partnership that will see Accenture become the organisation’s official business and technology consulting partner. As part of the agreement, Accenture will also serve as an official patron of some of golf’s most prestigious championships: The Open Championship, AIG Women’s Open and ISPS HANDA Senior Open, through to 2031.
In its role, Accenture will provide business transformation and management consulting services to support The R&A’s strategic priorities across governance, championship delivery and the global development of the sport. The collaboration will leverage Accenture’s expertise in digital technology, cloud computing, data analytics and artificial intelligence.
The partnership aims to accelerate the integration of technology across golf, enhancing operational efficiency, generating deeper insights and improving both fan and player experiences. The broader goal is to help expand the sport’s reach and make golf more accessible to audiences worldwide.
Through the agreement, Accenture will also support efforts to modernise how the sport is governed, delivered and experienced, building on its experience of working with major global sports organisations to drive innovation at scale.
Additionally, Accenture will collaborate with The R&A to activate its patron status across the three major championships, helping strengthen storytelling around the tournaments while highlighting the heritage and global appeal of golf.
The R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said, “Accenture has a renowned reputation worldwide for its expertise in technology, data and innovation and we see this partnership as a valuable opportunity to support our strategic priorities in golf and help shape the future of the sport. As both an Official Patron of our major championships and our Official Business and Technology Consulting Partner, Accenture will work closely with us to help modernize how we govern and deliver the game, while sharing our ambition to inspire people through world-class championships and showcase golf as a sport for everyone to enjoy.”
Accenture EMEA CEO Mauro Macchi commented, “Golf is one of the world’s great global sports, with a rich history and an exciting future. We’re proud to partner with The R&A as its Official Business and Technology Consulting Partner, as well as an Official Patron of its most iconic championships.”
