A new Ryder Cup-style team matchplay event between golfers with a disability from Europe and the USA is to be held at The Shire London this spring.
The inaugural Cairns Cup is scheduled to take place from May 11-13, with fourball, foursomes and singles matches being played on consecutive days.
The tournament will be part of week-long Disability Golf Festival, with a Charity Am-Am event taking place on May 9 and a Disability & Inclusivity Open Day on May 10.
The organisers of the event are aiming to raise awareness of disability golf and provide a platform to raise funds to promote golf as a sport for all. Each team will bring a squad of 16 players, although only 12 will play on any given day. Each team will have players with at least six different disabilities and WHS handicaps ranging from scratch to 54, making the event truly inclusive and available to all golfers who have a disability.
The European team will contain disabled golfers from England, Wales, Germany, Holland and Portugal, the US team features players from North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Indiana.
Among those competing on the European team is 43-year-old former soldier Mike Browne, who had his left leg amputated below the knee after a motorcycle accident in 2011. Mike, who is attached to Long Sutton Golf Club in Somerset, got his handicap down from 28 to four in just 18 months after taking up the game in 2014 and turned professional last year. He has won national disabled championships in France, the Czech Republic and South African and has competed on the Gecko Mini-Tour in Spain, as well as European Disabled Golfers Association events.
“I’d always thought golf was a sport for posh old men, but it draws people in from all walks of life,” said Mike. “It’s played a massive part in my rehabilitation and might even have saved my life. I have met so many amazing people and had so many fantastic experiences which I would not have enjoyed if I still had two legs. I’m really looking forward to playing in the Cairns Cup and shining a light on the fact that disability does not have to stop you from leading a full and active life.”
The Cairns Cup will be a biannual event, with future matches set to be held in Michigan in 2024, Celtic Manor in 2026, Florida in 2028 and San Roque, Spain in 2030.
Golf News is proud to a be the media partner for the event, while several other brands have added their support, including Great Days Golf, The Social Golfer, The Samuel Ryder Family, along with many other non-golfing companies.
Any businesses wishing to lend their support or to get involved should contact Ian Mullins on 07961 198966 or email [email protected].