On Course Foundation Set For On Course To The Open Relay Challenge

A charity that supports ex-servicemen and women has organised a relay challenge that will see veterans carry a golf flag from Royal St George’s in Kent, host of last year’s Open Championship, to St Andrews in Fife, which hosts the 150th Open next month.

The On Course To The Open challenge will see a team of On Course Foundation beneficiaries walk, run, cycle, swim and row the  903 mile (1,453km) route, taking in all 13 Open Championship host venues on the UK mainland, plus another 53 golf clubs on the way.

John Simpson tees off the challenge at Royal St George’s at 8.30am on Tuesday June 28th, with several OCF Gurkha amputee beneficiaries set to walk the first stage to Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich. The whole relay will take around two weeks to complete, with the flag set to arrive at St Andrews before this year’s Open starts on July 14th, and the aim is to raise £150,000.

All the participants in the relay have or have had a medical condition of some kind, be that a physical injury, non-physical injury, or medical conditions/illness. Golf has played a major part in their recovery and well-being for all of them.

The On Course Foundation supports wounded, injured and sick veterans through golf. The relay challenge has been launched to raise awareness of and money for the foundation and to showcase the benefits of golf and how it can help in other aspects of life.

They are encouraging golf club members to get involved by promoting the relay, carrying out their own fundraising challenge or donating a four-ball voucher that can be auctioned off. Anyone wishing to donate directly can visit the On Course To The Open Just Giving page.