Kevin Pietersen's 'bid to join exclusive Surrey golf club fails' as members 'threaten veto' against ex-England cricket star
17 September 2024, 08:20
Kevin Pietersen is said to have failed in a bid to join an exclusive Surrey golf club after members threatened to block his application.
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The England cricket legend, who ruffled the feathers of some in the game during his career, lives close to Sunningdale golf club with his wife Jessica.
Friends of Pietersen, 44, are said to have made initial steps towards applying for membership for him - but four current members said they would veto him, so his application was withdrawn, the Telegraph reported.
The club is said to have full membership fees of around £90,000, although this has not been made public.
Among current members is Andrew Strauss, Pietersen's former England teammate, although the two fell out. Strauss is not said to have been among the members who spoke out against Pietersen's membership bid.
A source told the Telegraph: "All it takes is one difficult member to stop the process, so before a vote new members are verbally discussed by existing members.
"The formal process wasn't even started because it was made clear there would be objections.
"Kevin was effectively blackballed – I've no idea why. He's a good golfer and wouldn't have caused any problems. I think he's a member of Wentworth, so he will have to make do with playing there for now."
Pietersen is said to be undeterred by his apparent failure at gaining membership, and is set to try again.
A source close to Pietersen told the paper: “Kevin has not been blocked by Sunningdale. He withdrew his membership application. He intends trying again next year, or the year after. It is a long and laborious process.
“He’s a member at Wentworth, but would like to be playing at Sunningdale before long. He lives nearby and has many friends there."
Sunningdale Golf Club has been contacted for comment.
Pietersen is widely considered one of England's best batsmen in recent decades.
Born in South Africa but with an English mother, he played 104 Test matches for England between 2005 and 2014, along with 136 one day internationals (ODIs) from 2004-2013.
Pietersen was also known for his flamboyant and aggressive playing style, which could cause tension with opponents and teammates.
He captained the Test and ODI sides briefly.
