Celebs, Volunteers, Awards and more - what a week at Wentworth
The Golf Foundation raises over £110,000 in second year as Official Charity of the BMW PGA Championship
Comedian Rob Beckett teamed up with the Fore Bros to headline an incredible week of fundraising for the Golf Foundation at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, helping the charity raise over £110,000 in its second year as Official Charity of the event.
The week's standout moment came on Tuesday, when Rob joined Declan and Conor Moloney of the Fore Bros for a two-hour Hole-in-One Challenge on a par three, alongside several DP World Tour professionals. Despite a string of agonising near misses, the elusive ace never arrived – but the challenge still raised a remarkable £50,000 for the charity.
Across the rest of the week, three activities in the spectators' village – the long putt, chipping challenge and 'nearest the pin' simulator shot – raised a further £59,335 thanks to golfing fans, supported by an army of 129 volunteers who covered 186 shifts across the week. A Go Fundraising auction run alongside the DP World Tour throughout the championship added £1,440 to the total.
All of this means the charity can now help more than 11,000 additional young people access the Unleash Your Drive in Schools programme, introducing golf and transferable mental toughness tools to pupils in their own school environment. Every £10 helps another pupil take part – and since Covid, we know one in five young people has a probable mental health issue, so early intervention to strengthen mental wellbeing is key.
The week kicked off on Tuesday evening with the Golf Foundation President's Awards, hosted by President Nick Dougherty in front of 100 guests, where six inspirational grassroots heroes from across schools, golf clubs and communities were celebrated for making golf more accessible, inclusive and meaningful for the next generation.
On Wednesday, Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald led three amateur golfers in the Pro-Am – including ten-year-old Harrison Grainger, who earned his spot through the Golf Foundation's nationwide Unleash Your Drive competition – in an experience they will never forget.
Throughout the week, the charity also welcomed school groups to Wentworth to enjoy their first live golf experience, with community groups joining on Tuesday in a further partnership piece with the DP World Tour's Golf For Good team.
"Thank you to our volunteers, partners and staff who helped the Golf Foundation benefit from another remarkable week at the BMW PGA Championship," said Brendon Pyle, CEO of the Golf Foundation. "A huge thank you must go to the DP World Tour, whose support with our activations and the Rob Beckett Hole-in-One Challenge went above and beyond – and of course to BMW, who once again nominated us as their Official Charity, a privilege we never take for granted. This is our second year in this role, with one more to come, and we intend to make it count. Thanks also go to Awesome Golf, Titleist, Flightscope and American Golf, whose prizes and activation support made the spectator village come alive. The money raised this week will help us reach thousands more young people across GB&I with the power of golf."