PGA invites Tim Rouse to become the ‘face of the Association’ as its Captain
17/09/2021
The PGA has invited Tim Rouse, a Member with a wealth of varied experience and an arsenal of skills befitting the modern-day professional, to become its Captain in 2023.
The 62-year-old has been the head professional at Northants County Golf Club for three decades, designed courses, captained the Association’s Midland region, served on a variety of committees as well as The PGA’s main board, and his coaching has been instrumental in former Ryder Cup star Paul Broadhurst winning two Senior majors. He will succeed Sarah Bennett as the Association’s 82nd Captain in April 2023.
Commenting on the appointment, The PGA’s chairman, Alan White, said: “The Captain is the face of the Association for the time he or she is in post, so it is a very important appointment.
“It’s not just a case of it being someone’s turn – we have to be careful we pick the right person. And if someone the quality of Tim Rouse is available to do the job then we are lucky to have him.
“Tim has a wealth of golfing experience, is a safe pair of hands, and has done so much for the Association. It’s our privilege to give him the opportunity to be our Captain.
“I know how honoured and excited Tim is. The list of Captains includes former Ryder Cup players and captains and to have your name on it is very special.”
The roster of PGA Captains includes the present incumbent, Bernard Gallacher, Peter Alliss, Dave Thomas, Bernard Hunt, Dai Rees, Henry Cotton and Tommy Horton, the first member of the elite band Rouse encountered.
“We’d finished our training course at Lilleshall and he came to see us and wish us all well," Rouse recalled. “He was a top player at the time as well as being PGA Captain.”
That meeting took place in 1979 and since then Rouse, a member of the Professional Golfers Architects’ Association, has designed courses in Tarporley, Cheshire, and East Sussex. He was also a PGA swing instructor and examiner from 1983 until 2019, has captained both the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire PGAs, and been the Midlands Professional and Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2016 respectively.
The bulk of his career, however, has been spent at Northants County where, in addition to coaching and running the pro shop, he has overseen the construction of an indoor academy and organises an annual pro-am that, to date, has raised sufficient funds to train 11 guide dogs for the blind.
“It’s been quite a career and this tops the whole thing,” he added. “I’m very, very proud, very honoured and didn’t expect it at all. It’s been a bit of a shock, but I’m thrilled and delighted.”
Rouse will have 18 months to prepare for the role before he takes over from Bennett but will become Captain-elect in April 2022 when she succeeds Gallacher. In the meantime, he plans to find out as much about the job as possible.
“I’ll be seeing Bernard and Sarah next week, so I’ll have a chat with them,” he said. “And Peter Hanna, Bernard’s predecessor, has been a big pal of mine for many years.
“I’ll ask him if he has any advice regarding the role. I’ll have to tell him I wasn’t expecting this to happen so haven’t made any notes over the years!”
