Royal St George's hosts Simpson Cup

The Great Britain team will be aiming to win back the Cup they lost for the first time at the Congressional Country Club last year

The Simpson Cup, a Ryder Cup-style competition between injured servicemen and veterans from Great Britain and America, will be held at Royal St George’s from 20-23 September, 2015. Former Ryder Cup captain, Bernard Gallacher, will captain a British team which is aiming to regain the Cup, having lost by 10.5pts to 7.5pts last year having won the previous two events.

The Opening Ceremony, at 5pm on Sunday, 20 September, will feature a march-past from the Coldstream Guards, a rifle shot segue into the National Anthem and a Spitfire flypast.

The following day sees the player/sponsors’ competition taking place, before the tournament begins on Tuesday, 22 September, with six four-ball matches followed by 12 singles matches on Wednesday, 23 September.

The whole event is open to the public and is free of charge.

The Simpson Cup was inaugurated in 2012 by John Simpson, to raise funds and awareness for the On Course Foundation. All the competitors are members of the On Course Foundation which helps men and women who were injured, sick or wounded in the line of duty to rebuild their lives by giving them the opportunity to play the game and gain employment in the golf industry.

Simpson, who himself has only one fully-functioning leg as a result of suffering polio as a child, was born in Kent and is a member of Royal St George’s. So this year’s venue holds personal significance for him, as well as continuing a stellar list of courses that have held the competition.

The inaugural Simpson Cup was held at TPC Sawgrass in 2012. In 2013, the Simpson Cup was played at Royal Lytham & St Annes and Congressional Country Club played host in 2014. Royal Birkdale has already confirmed it will be stage the next Simpson Cup in Britain, in 2017.

“I am humbled that the Simpson Cup will be taking place at such an historic course,” says Simpson. “The competition and the events leading up to it encapsulate what the On Course Foundation is all about - giving these incredible people the opportunity to shape their futures, both in terms of playing golf and building a sustainable career, which is the very least they deserve.

“Each year we’ve seen the most moving and inspiring stories emerge. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what the class of 2015 has in store for us, and it will be a privilege to see these heroes putting on another terrific spectacle at a course I hold so close to my heart.”