Sam's takes on epic golf challenge for charity

A TEENAGE golf fan is taking on the epic challenge of completing 100 holes of golf in a single day for Prostate Cancer UK.

Ripon Grammar School sixth former Samuel Cann will tee off at 4am and hopes to complete his five-and-a-half rounds of the 18-hole Ripon City Golf Club course by 8pm.

The charity’s Big Golf Race, which has been running since 2020, challenges golfers to take on either 36, 72 or – new for 2023 – the Ultra Marathon 100 holes in a day.

Sam, who only started playing golf two years ago, will be taking on the Ultra Marathon - which he calculates should take him around 16 hours - on June 21 at his local club where he plays, in addition to working as an assistant in the shop: “I wanted a challenge!” he says.

The 18-year-old, who is taking A-levels in maths, further maths, physics and music and plans to study university of Manchester to study aerospace engineering at the University of Manchester, explained how Prostate Cancer UK is a charity close to his heart.

“I am undertaking this challenge in support of friends and members at the golf club who are suffering or impacted by someone suffering from prostate cancer.” he said.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 143 men diagnosed every day, and 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime.

“It's also one that people know very little about, or are not willing to talk about, causing lots of men to suffer alone due to negative stigmas around it.

“I've chosen to support Prostate Cancer UK, the UK’s biggest men’s health charity, to help to overcome these barriers and help to fund research for a cure, or to fund treatments for existing patients.”

Sam, from Sharow, near Ripon, will be supported by other club members who plan to join him for one round during the challenge which he hopes will raise £500 for the cause.

A former junior captain at the club, he says: “I’ve not been playing for long, and only on-and-off due to other commitments so my handicap, at 25.7, is not the best. But I enjoy regularly playing club level competitions and have played a few junior events outside the club as well. I’ve never won, although I’ve come second a lot!”

Since its inception in 2020 The Big Golf Race has raised an incredible £2.5 million, which has been invested into better research, tests, and treatments for prostate cancer.

*See Sam’s Just Giving page here :

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/the-big-golf-race-2023-33521