Golf Foundation Pro-Am raises more than £20,000

Supporters of junior grass roots golf from the world of business, media and sport came together on Monday to enjoy the 28th Golf Foundation Pro-Am, held at The London Golf Club, a European Tour Destination and host venue for next week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship.

The event, auction and dinner raised more than £20,000 for the Golf Foundation, the charity that makes golf more accessible to youngsters from all backgrounds and helps to grow participation in golf clubs through a series of initiatives which include the PGA-endorsed Junior Golf Passport.

With strong backing from The European Tour, players from The European and Challenge Tours and invited members from the Ladies European Tour led 22 teams in competition on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Heritage course.

The R&A team secured fourth position, The London Golf Club team used their local knowledge to good effect finish third, and were denied joining a three-way tie for first place by just one point. The teams from the PGA and European Tour Properties both finished tied on 83 points, with the PGA – led by professional David Griffiths – winning the prestigious Wickham Shield thanks to a count-back on the back nine.

Brendon Pyle, Acting Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, praised the teams and commended the greenkeepers for the superb condition of the course.

He said: “We would like to thank every player for their contribution and a fantastic fundraising effort. Your support and the support from all golfers really is appreciated, as our HSBC Golf Roots programme is introducing over half a million young people to golf every year and, last year, created 2,500 new junior members in clubs.

“The European Tour is a great supporter of our cause and this event, where friends come together to raise funds to encourage the next generation of players. So huge thanks goes to The European Tour and all the professionals who encouraged the teams so well today.

“Finally, I would like to thank Austen Gravestock and all his staff at The London Golf Club for making everyone feel so welcome and providing a brilliant stage for our annual Pro-Am.”

Pyle added special thanks to The European Tour’s Hugh Wickham, who was guest of honour on the day and was the driving force behind the Pro-Am’s inauguration in 1986.

This fundraising event has been supported by The European Tour from the start.

In excess of £200,000 has been raised over the past ten years to help the Golf Foundation reach an increasing numbers of boys and girls through its HSBC Golf Roots initiative, which offers playing opportunities and ‘Skills for Life’ elements in schools and community projects and then feeds young people through to golf clubs, preparing them for regular play and, hopefully, a life in golf.

The European Tour and Golf Foundation are working together to celebrate the legacy of the Foundation’s founding father, and one of the UK’s premier touring golf professionals, Sir Henry Cotton.

The Golf Foundation also offered a special thanks to the BMW PGA Championship and Tour Players Foundation, which contributed items for the auction. Generous donations of player prizes, auction items and raffle prizes also came from The European Tour, Mizuno, Robert McGuirk, HSBC, Tractor Hire, Heath Harvey, Ryder Cup Europe, Woburn, Titleist, Moet&Chandon, ETIQUS, TaylorMade Golf and Adams Golf.