Sir Gareth Southgate & sporting legends raise £23,000 for Martin House Children’s Hospice at Ilkley Golf Club
Hosted by golfing icon Colin Montgomerie OBE, the star-studded two-day event at Ilkley Golf Club brought together legends from football, rugby, and cricket to raise over £23,000 for Boston Spa-based Martin House Children’s Hospice
A galaxy of sporting icons gathered at Ilkley Golf Club this week as the two-day Yorkshire Invitational tournament raised £23,361.70 for Martin House Children’s Hospice.
Hosted by Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie OBE, the charity event allowed amateur golfers to tee off alongside famous faces from across the world of professional sport.
The line-up included former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate, rugby union World Cup winner Jason Robinson, All Blacks icon Zinzan Brooke, cricket star Steve Harmison, Dame Laura Davies, and former Premier League football stars Lee Dixon and Andy Cole.
Sir Gareth Southgate, a long-standing ambassador for the Boston Spa-based hospice, admitted that playing in front of the crowd brought a few jitters.
"I'd say my golf went from average to reasonably good! It was certainly nerve-wracking teeing off in front of a crowd at the start," said Gareth. "It's been a brilliant event, and the fact that the money is going to Martin House is very special.
“It costs a lot to keep the hospice running each year, so events like today are great for raising both the charity's profile and valuable funds."
More than 1,600 spectators registered to watch the action across the Ilkley course.
On the professional leaderboard, Chris Hanson clinched victory on two-under-par, finishing one stroke ahead of runner-up Oliver Fisher.
The tournament's standout moment came on the 15th hole, where Clitheroe Golf Club’s Howard Rishton sank a hole-in-one, battling a strong headwind with a six-iron.
Vital Support for Local Families
The £23,361 raised will go directly toward funding Martin House’s specialist care for children and young people with life-shortening conditions across West, North, and East Yorkshire.
Michelle Ford, Regional and Events Team Manager at Martin House, said: "We’re incredibly grateful to everyone involved in the Yorkshire Invitational for choosing Martin House as its charity partner and helping to raise such a fantastic amount.
“Every pound raised will help us continue providing specialist care and support to children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and their families, across Yorkshire."