Prostate Cancer UK host successful Pro-Am Gala Dinner at Archerfield

Prostate Cancer UK marked its new long-term association with the European Senior Tour with a successful Pro-Am Gala Dinner at Archerfield on Wednesday night (26th August 2015).

Sporting legends Sir Ian Botham, Ray Clemence, Chris Broad and Dennis Taylor joined former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond, Tour players competing during the week and representatives of the leading men’s health organisation.

The event, hosted by renowned journalist, and a man with a first-hand experience of the disease that kills one man every hour in the UK, Bill Elliott, saw Prostate Cancer UK’s Director of Fundraising Mark Bishop address a room of 116 people – and an impressive £8,000 raised from an auction.

Also delivering a powerful message on stage was David Hadley-Smith, another affected by prostate cancer, and a man who challenged 40 of his golfing friends to see a doctor resulting in a staggering 10 diagnosis’.

On his table was former Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and England goalkeeper Clemence. The duo played with European Senior Tour regular and BBC golf pundit Andrew Murray during the day’s Pro-Am event, won by the quartet led by Spaniard Santiago Luna.

Prostate Cancer UK’s Director of Fundraising, Mark Bishop said: “Driving into Archerfield ahead of the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open was a truly special moment for our organisation.

“We know what a great fit golf is to Prostate Cancer UK, and through our long-term partnership with our great friends from the European Senior Tour seeing our messaging front and centre across such a magnificent venue really brought that home.

“The support of sporting legends such as Ray Clemence, Sir Ian Botham and Dennis Taylor made for a fantastic gala dinner on Wednesday night, and it was great to further reinforce our message about how serious this disease is as well as raising a substantial amount of money through an entertaining auction.

“One man dies every hour from prostate cancer, which is a startling statistic given the average length of a round of golf, so this disease is not out of bounds. We need to fund vital research to hit back and those golfers at every level who have chipped in to support us are the perfect example of what we like to call Men United, people joining together to fight a common opponent – prostate cancer.

“We thank all at the European Senior Tour, Archerfield, East Lothian Council and Visit Scotland for their support and as well as wishing everyone taking part in this year’s event good luck, we are already looking forward to 2016.”

The newly-named Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open is taking place at Archerfield Links from 27-29 August.

With a prize fund of £250,000 the tournament has a field of 60 European Senior Tour professionals, who will play alongside an amateur partner for the first two rounds before the professionals contest the final round on Saturday, August 29.

Archerfield Links has hosted the Ladies Scottish Open since 2010 while it also hosts an annual charity Pro-Am event each June in conjunction with Senior Tour player Ian Woosnam OBE.

Tom Younger, CEO of Archerfield Links said: “We are delighted to have Prostate Cancer UK as part of the Scottish Senior Open at Archerfield. With so many men across the UK affected by this disease we hope that this partnership can help raise awareness within the golfing community of the great work done by this charity.”

To get tickets for the event at prostatecanceruk.org/ScottishSeniorOpenand for more details on Prostate Cancer UK’s work in golf go to prostatecanceruk.org/golf

This summer Prostate Cancer UK is asking Men United to get active and fundraise. People are being urged to search Men United, and do something great with their mates via prostatecanceruk.org/menunited.

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