MICHAEL DOYLE ACCEPTS EGU PRESIDENCY FOR 2001

Michael Noel Doyle, who has spent half his life in London and the other half in Yorkshire, has accepted an initiation to become EGU President in the year 2001.

Born in London on Boxing Day 1925, which is why he was christened Noel, Mike Doyle was educated in Ealing and began playing golf just before the last war at the nine-hole Horsenden Hill course. But it wasn't until after he had served in the RAF and the Parachute Regiment from 1944-47 that his golfing career took off.

He joined Sudbury Golf Club and soon reduced his handicap to two, representing Middlesex in the 1950's. But it was in golf administration that he found his niche, running the competitions at Sudbury for 14 years and serving on the Greens Committee.

When it cam to business, Mike Doyle made a career in engineering on the sales side and it was when he was invited to join a new company as its Sales Manger in 1968 that he moved his family to Yorkshire and the village of Guisley where he still lives. He joined Bradford Golf Club and became Captain in 1975.

Four years earlier he inaugurated the Hawksworth Trophy, an open competition named after the lane in which the club is situated. "It is still played on the last Saturday in April and provides an opportunity for players to gain some early season competition prior to the big events such as the Lytham Trophy," says Mike.

He survived a merger of his company and subsequent takeovers until he retired from the Manchester-based Turner and Newell in 1990. Retirement meant Mike had more time to devote to golf administration and, having joined the Yorkshire Executive in 1987, he became their President in 1992 and has represented Yorkshire on the EGU Executive Committee since 1996.

His involvement with the EGU has grown and today Mike is one of two England representatives on the Council of National Golf Unions, is Deputy Chairman of the Championship Committee under Chairman Bill Bryce, and referees in many EGU competitions.