The first major
volunteering opportunity of the year awaits the BIGGA members who have been
selected to join the Support Team for the BMW PGA Championship.
The greenkeepers
will be on hand to assist Director of Golf Courses and Estates Kenny Mackay and
his team throughout the European Tour’s flagship event.
A selection of the
team has been chosen to help out with early morning course work and preparation
in advance of each day’s play, while the remainder will be on hand to accompany
each individual match throughout the tournament.
They will also be on
standby in case of emergencies, such as was the case in 2017, when Tony
Bartram, greenkeeper at The Richmond Golf Club in West London and amateur
beekeeper, was called into action to remove a swarm of bees that had settled on
the 18th fairway prior to the final
day’s play.
Tony will be joining
the team again this year and said that when he saw Kenny at BTME in Harrogate,
he made sure to mention that he would be bringing along his beekeeping
equipment, just in case.
Tony said: “It’s
such a great experience. I used to pay to watch the tournament every year, so
if you could say to my 17-year-old self that I’d get to go inside the ropes
with the players to provide greenkeeping assistance, I would have leapt at the
opportunity.
“In England there’s
really only two big tournaments that regularly take place, the PGA every year
and the Open every couple of years, so the opportunity to be a part of that
experience, you can’t beat it. I just love everything about the whole week.”
The BIGGA Support
Team for the BMW PGA Championship 2018 is:
David Angus,
Newmachar;
Bradley Ashton, Prestbury;
Russell Bain,
Chislehurst;
Andrew Baker, Ely City;
Graham Baker, Horam
Park;
Adam
Baldwin, Lilley Brook;
David Ball,
Thetford;
Tony
Bartram, The Richmond;
Mark Bettell, The
Rayleigh;
Iain Biggs, Chesfield Downs;
Samuel Bishop,
Corhampton;
Samuel Bolt, Huntercombe;
Robert Boyce, Links
(Newmarket);
Aaron Buff, Queenwood;
Harry Carvey,
Heworth;
Tom Coleman, Ellesborough;
Charlie Cripps,
Wickham Park;
Joe Curtis, Chislehurst;
Stephen Davey,
Queenwood;
Ashley Darnley, The Bristol;
Jeffrey Drake,
Newbury & Crookham;
Anthony Duffield,
Ham Manor;
Josh Dunn, The
Belfry;
Glenn Dyer, Huntercombe;
Michael Elderfield,
Sandy Lodge;
Daniel Evans, Llandudno (Maesdu);
Sam Evans, Fulwell;
Sam Ewing, Crane Valley;
Ceri Fearnley, The
Bristol;
Martin Field, Buckinghamshire;
Joseph Frampton,
Pyle & Kenfig;
Dean Franks, Littlehampton;
Andrew Gibbs,
Sunningdale;
Luke Green,
Littlehampton;
Lee Hall, Hampstead;
David
Haselgrave, Ely City;
Luke Harman, St
George’s Hill;
Kevin Hensman, Rowlands Castle;
Steven Hirons,
Kirtlington;
Oliver Kirk, Links (Newmarket);
James Lomas, Hadley
Wood;
Matthew
Mackenzie, Ellesborough;
Michael Mead,
Littlehampton;
Peter Meek, The Wisley;
Jamie Melham,
Highwoods;
Chris Mitchell, Retired;
Brett Moggridge,
Kirtlington;
Ryan Neale,
Droitwich;
Edward Parsloe,
Minchinhampton;
Robert
Patrick, Stoneham;
Johnathan Peacock,
Ullesthorpe Court; Blair Shearer,
Dunbar;
Jason Shepherd,
Hendon;
William Simmonds, Roehampton;
David Smith, Links
(Newmarket);
Philip Slater, West Herts;
Gemma St. John,
Brokenhurst Manor;
David Taylor, Thornbury Golf Centre;
Kevin Tigg, South
Winchester;
Kevin Weller, Mid
Kent.
Ryan Wilson, Mill
Green;
Craig Woodman, Bramshaw;
Adam Young, The
Players Club;
