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Awesome amateur golfer completes 18-hour, four-country charity challenge for Sparks

Awesome amateur golfer completes 18-hour, four-country charity challenge for Sparks

An amateur London golfer endured a gruelling test of stamina and patience as he completed 18 holes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – travelling 1,200 miles in less than 18 hours on Tuesday (June 17) to raise money for Sparks, the Children’s Medical Research Charity.

Despite weather-enforced delays, Roger Southam, chief executive and chairman of property management firm Chainbow, completed the ‘Sparks Golf Challenge,’ sponsored by Royal & Awesome, in spectacular fashion by flying by helicopter, which had been generously donated, from country to country.

Wearing his eye-catching Royal & Awesome trousers and with less than three hours to complete each round, Southam had originally planned to play 2017 Irish Open venue Lough Erne, Northern Ireland; this year’s Ryder Cup venue, Gleneagles; former Ryder Cup venue Celtic Manor, Wales; and The London Club, England, host of the 2014 Volvo World Match Play Championships.

Sporting his Paddy Par! Royal and Awesome trousers, Southam got off to a great start, completing the Faldo Course at Lough Erne in under three hours. The take-off from Northern Ireland was delayed by two hours because of poor weather conditions, however, time was made-up at Gleneagles where Southam played 18 holes at Gleneagles in under two hours.

The helicopter pilots were able to swiftly transport Southam down to Celtic Manor for the welsh leg of the challenge, where 18 holes on the Roman Road course were completed in just over two hours.

However, because of the time lost earlier in the day, the final leg, originally due to be played at The London Club, was switched to the Manor House Hotel & Golf Club, in Wiltshire, which saved the day by being a last-minute replacement for the England leg – saving around an hour of flight time – and enabling Southam to complete the challenge within 18 hours.

Since 1991, Sparks has raised more than £27m through fundraising initiatives used for pioneering children’s medical research, and Southam is aiming to add £50,000 to the funds with this challenge.

He said: “I was a little nervous but extremely excited about the challenge – I have thought about doing it for a long time.

“The Sparks Golf Challenge is a great bit of fun and an excellent way for people to get involved and to help raise money so the charity can fund vital research – and when I was asked if I wanted to take part, I was keen to take it to the next level.

“With the support of Royal & Awesome, and the four host courses, the challenge is a dream come true – but to make a real difference to Sparks, an extremely worthwhile cause, is what it is all about.”

The awesome golf challenge requires participants to organise a team of two to four players to play a minimum of 72 holes on a given day this summer – with Royal & Awesome rewarding teams who raise a minimum £400 for the charity with a free pair of trousers for each team member.

Players should play a minimum of four rounds on one or more courses, and, whether the golfers score well or play quickly, there will be a challenge for everyone.

Furthermore, three teams will be invited to play in the popular Sparks Open at The Oxfordshire on October 8 – the teams which played the most holes in a day, raised the most money, and recorded the best Stableford score over 72 holes – providing they complete the challenge by September 1, 2014, and register on the charity’s website.

Royal & Awesome’s range of eye-catching golf trousers, shorts and hats is ‘perfect for the pars and the bars’. The brand also boasts a collection of plus-twos as well as women’s trousers, shorts and skorts in dazzling designs, complemented by a selection of shirts, socks and belts.