David Hadley-Smith is a man who knows first-hand the heartache prostate cancer can cause. He is also uncomfortably aware of its connection to middle-aged golfers, which is why he believes the new partnership between Prostate Cancer UK and the Scottish Senior Open is such a great fit.
Out of the blue, David was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease back in 2013.
“It was a total shock,” he admitted. “I was aware of the disease because Rob, one of my friends at the golf club, was living with it at the time. But I never imagined I would get it. I was fit and well and going to the gym. In fact, I thought I was bomb-proof.
“For a while, I feared the worst. Although most men make it through surgery fine, I worried that I was going to be incontinent for the rest of my life, but then I said to myself ‘I’m not going to let this beat me.’”
“Once I was well enough after surgery, I got in touch with Prostate Cancer UK and signed up to be a volunteer for them,” he added. “Because I’d been diagnosed and was talking about prostate cancer, 40 guys from the golf club went to have PSA tests and it turned out 10 of them also had it.
“The statistic you hear most often is that as a bloke you have a 1 in 8 chance of getting prostate cancer. For my group of friends, it turned out to be 1 in 4. That’s a pretty sobering thought and it’s a message we want to get across at the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open.”
“A friend of mine actually had surgery on the same day with the same surgeon, so we supported each other through the whole process. I’m now part of Men United which helps raise awareness of the dangers of prostate cancer and I think it’s great.
“I quickly realised that talking to my friends was the best way to help them defend themselves.”
This year’s Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open, which is to be played at Archerfield Links Golf Club, near North Berwick, from August 27-29, has attracted a strong field including former Ryder Cup Captains Sam Torrance and Mark James, Ryder Cup vice captain Des Smyth and defending champion Mark Davis. During the championship, the European Senior Tour aims to help Prostate Cancer UK spread the message about how dangerous the disease can be.
“David’s story provides a graphic warning to all middle-aged golfers,” said Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour. “More than 40,000 men in the UK, including 2,900 in Scotland, are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer among men.
“Early diagnosis is often vital, and that is something we want to get across during the Prostate Cancer UK Scottish Senior Open.
“The tournament will be a Pro-Am format, similar to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on The European Tour, and we hope this unique format will allow individuals and sponsors the opportunity to participate in the tournament to help deliver this important message to a wide audience. With the quality facilities provided to us at Archerfield Links, it promises to be a fun event all in aid of a good cause.”
Mark Bishop, Prostate Cancer UK’s Director of Fundraising, said: “Our presence across sport continues to grow, and we’re really excited about teeing up this new partnership with our friends from the European Senior Tour.
“Golf is a great fit for us at Prostate Cancer UK. From tee to green, it offers men that opportunity to talk openly and frankly with their mates outside the shackles of everyday life.
“Men United is about men joining together to fight a common opponent – prostate cancer – and do something great together to beat it. Since it was launched 12 months ago, Men United has caught the imagination for a change in men’s health, with more than 200,000 people signing up to pledge support. One man dies every hour from this disease, but it’s been proven by taking this issue to sporting venues up and down the land that we are starting to make a difference.
“Through the stellar work from club captains across the UK, our message is spreading throughout golf and to be able to work side by side with the game’s primary organisation on these shores offers a fantastic opportunity to drive change further.”
