Bearsden-based golfer Belle Robertson, one of Scotland's greatest amateurs, has become one of the first women to accept an invitation from the Royal & Ancient to become an honorary member.

Curtis Cup stalwart Robertson, who won seven Scottish Women's Amateur Championships, a Ladies' British Open Amateur crown and was awarded an MBE in 1973, joins a distinguished list of seven decorated females, which also includes Princess Anne, Annika Sorenstam and Dame Laura Davies.

Last September, the R&A membership voted by an 85% majority to admit women as members for the first time in its 260-year history and the first wave of new additions were unveiled in St Andrews.

George Macgregor, the captain of the Royal & Ancient, said, "It is an honour and a privilege for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club to welcome these remarkable women as honorary members.

"This is an historic day for the Club and we could not be more proud also to welcome women who have distinguished themselves in golf over many years and have been great players and champions. They are extremely worthy additions to our roll of honorary members and will become ambassadors for the Club as they have been for the sport of golf throughout their careers."

Meanwhile, R&A chief Peter Dawson has insisted the game's governing body were effectively given no option but to award Sky the broadcasting rights for the Open Championship.

Golf's oldest major will move to satellite TV in 2017, ending some 60 years of live, uninterrupted coverage on the BBC.

The Beeb will still show nightly highlights during the championship and Dawson claimed that package was all the broadcaster wanted as negotiations intensified.

Dawson revealed: "BBC did bid for the live rights initially, and so it's not true to say they didn't want them. Later on in the process, they switched emphasis. I'm not 100 per cent sure why. But the BBC made it clear the highlight feed was the way they wanted to go.

The decision to go with the live rights with Sky was one I would suggest that if you were in possession of the information we had, there's not a person in this room, believe me, that would have made a different decision, given the state of play at that time."