Willow co-founder and life president Bob Wilson was delighted by the success of the inaugural Senior Golf Classic, helping to raise vital funds for the charity.
Willow, which provides Special Days for 16 to 40 year olds with life-threatening illnesses, was founded by Wilson and his wife, Megs, in 1999.
After the first staging of the Willow Senior Golf Classic at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club, Wilson believes the event surpassed all expectations.
“It was a real step into the unknown for us,” said Wilson. “It’s massively exceeded everything we expected. We were unsure how it would turn out, but we believe we can truly say this was a worthwhile event.
“We wished to spread the awareness of our charity, and it has certainly done that. You only have to look at social media and the coverage we’ve had – it’s just been a wonderful experience.”
The Willow Senior Golf Classic was played in an Alliance format, giving amateur golfers the chance to tee it up alongside European Senior Tour professionals.
With an additional two Pro-Am rounds before the tournament, Wilson admitted there were some nerves before he took to the course.
“The amateurs are like me,” he said. “It’s terrifying when you’re on the first tee, you’re partnered with a professional and all of a sudden you notice people there to watch you.
“When you hear your name called up and some people applaud, you start to shake. People say to me ‘you were a professional sportsman’, but I roughly knew what I was doing as a goalkeeper.
“One of the professional helped me out with a lesson, making an adjustment to my grip and I’ll be working on that on the range.
“It was an incredibly memorable five days.”
Wilson also reserved praise for his staff and volunteers who spent the week at Hanbury Manor.
“They have been brilliant,” he said. “We know we’ve got great staff at Willow, but heading that group was Sara-Jane who was wonderful throughout the week.
“We rely and depend so much on our staff, and they really pulled out all the stops.”
