10-year-old tees it up with Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald at BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am
Thanks to the help of the DP World Tour, Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald gave three amateur golfers an experience of a lifetime in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am - including ten-year-old Harrison Grainger, who earned his spot through the Golf Foundation’s nationwide Unleash Your Drive Competition.
The Golf Foundation’s programmes teach young people to deal with nerves, focus on challenges and increase their confidence, and Grainger certainly showcased those values in style when he smashed his tee shot down the first in front of a packed grandstand on Wentworth’s West Course.
Grainger was joined by fellow Unleash Your Drive Final winners Gavin Moore and Dean Fair as the trio represented Team Golf Foundation in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am - the third year that the charity had a team in the event.
Their journey to Wentworth began in the nationwide Unleash Your Drive tournament, which saw more than 4,000 golfers take part and raise more than £20,000 to support the Golf Foundation’s work with young people.
The competition culminated in the Unleash Your Drive Final at The Grove, where Moore topped the leaderboard with 41 points, Fair finished with 40 and Grainger secured the third Pro-Am place with 38 points.
And their reward was a very special one.
Under blue skies and with Wentworth in its usual fantastic tournament condition, the three winners joined former world number one and Ryder Cup-winning captain Luke Donald for a memorable round in one of the biggest Pro-Ams in golf.
“We've had a great day playing for Team Golf Foundation,” said Donald. “What the Golf Foundation do getting golf into schools is so important. Golf can teach young people so much and it's great to help inspire them from a young age.”
For Grainger, Fair and Moore, the day was the culmination of a competition that combines golf, fundraising and the chance to create truly unforgettable experiences through the game.
“It’s been incredible,” said Grainger, the youngest player to take part in the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am. “We all played well and it was so much fun. I was nervous but then I birdied the first hole, and loved it”
“We played some good golf,” said Fair, “and Luke Donald was so good to us the whole way around. It’s been surreal, but amazing.”
“I’m coming back,” Moore added, after being told there had never been a returning Unleash Your Drive winner. “It’s been an amazing day for all of us – anyone who likes golf has to take part in the event, the chance to play in this is just unbelievable!”
A huge week for the Golf Foundation
The Pro-Am forms part of an incredible week for the Golf Foundation, which is proud to be the Official Charity of the BMW PGA Championship for the second time.
Across tournament week, the Foundation is showcasing its work with children and young people while raising vital funds to help create more opportunities through golf.
School groups are being welcomed to the Golf Foundation stand throughout the week, giving young people the chance to experience golf and learn more about the opportunities the sport can provide.
An army of Golf Foundation volunteers is also helping to deliver activities across Wentworth, including long putt, chipping and nearest-the-pin challenges, giving spectators the chance to get involved while supporting the charity.
Every donation made during the week helps the Golf Foundation continue its work introducing children and young people to golf and using the sport to develop skills that can help them both on and off the course.
Unleash Your Drive sits at the heart of that work, using golf alongside mental toughness tools to help young people develop confidence, resilience, focus and emotional control.
And for three of this year’s Unleash Your Drive competitors, that journey has now provided a memory they will never forget - walking the fairways of Wentworth alongside one of the biggest names in the game.
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