A charity golf day held at Thorpe Hall Golf Club in Essex has raised over £50,000 for a range of national and local causes.
The Hattie’s Heroes Charity Day, which is now in its fourth year, was the idea of European Tour player Matt Southgate, whose niece, Hattie Dexter, was treated for an extensive period at Great Ormond Street Hospital after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when aged just two.
Southgate, who is a member at Thorpe Hall, joined forces with fellow professional golfers Richard McEvoy, John Fryatt and John Andrews and set up the charity golf day. The event has raised £150,000 to date, with the beneficiaries including local charities HARP and Haven’s Hospice, as well as Great Ormond Street and the Elizabeth Foundation.
McEvoy, who has also been a member at Thorpe Hall since his junior days, was delighted with the sums raised and the support from the club and its members. He said: “It was the fourth year that we have held the event and it has raised roughly £50,000 each time. We try to make it better each year, and this time we had 27 teams take part in the competition. It helped that the weather was nice and everyone had a great day. There was an all-day auction, and we raised money for numerous charities, including the Elizabeth Foundation, which is close to my heart.”
He added: “Matt, myself and the two Johns, run the day. It’s really enjoyable, and fantastic to be a part of, but we couldn’t do any of this without the support of the club and its members, as well as everyone who continues to contribute very generously towards the auction.”
Despite the high-powered field of tour pros in attendance, the winning score of 98 was recorded by Team Khandia, whose handicaps were 20, 16, 10 and scratch. They finished 11 points ahead of from Team Barthaud, who came second on count-back ahead of Team Bonora. Apart from a handsome trophy, the winning team were awarded a cheque for £5,000 to be donated to a charity of their choice.
In the evening, friends and partners joined the players to enjoy a three-course dinner, a charity auction, and musical entertainment provided by the Jackie Wilson Says band.