Ryder Cup star Lee Westwood has been presented with the Golf Foundation’s ‘Spirit of Golf’ Award, at Turnberry, prior to the Open Championship which starts on Thursday.
The prestigious award, now in its third year, recognises a superb contribution to junior golf by a leading player and previous winners include Gary Player and Tony Jacklin.
Golf Foundation Chairman Charles Harrison presented a finely crafted glass and silver claret jug trophy to Lee Westwood at the R&A Junior Golf Centre at Turnberry.
Westwood has for the last eight years endorsed the ‘Charity Challenge’, a fundraising project for leading golf charity the Golf Foundation, which raises the profile of junior grass roots golf development among club members all over Great Britain. Before receiving his award Lee took part in his own challenge with local schoolchildren, as he played Tri-Golf against an energetic team of boys and girls, with Lee emerging as the narrow winner.
Westwood said: “I am very honoured to receive this award. I certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the Foundation for helping me as a youngster. Encouraging juniors is very important and it’s great to see some youngsters here today who could one day be an Open Champion or Ladies’ Open Champion.”
The Golf Foundation is present for the whole of Open week (12-19 July), working alongside the PGA and clubgolf as guests of The R&A. An estimated 4,000 youngsters are expected to visit the R&A Junior Golf Centre during the event.
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