Prostate Cancer UK has been appointed Official Charity to the tournament, one of the best-attended on the Staysure Tour, which will be played for the 15thtime this year and the 11thsuccessive time over the superb Duke’s Course at Woburn Golf Club.
The move to align Prostate Cancer UK with the Staysure Tour confirms the joint commitment of the charitable and sporting organisations to help save lives. This represents the fourth successive season in which a senior tournament has linked arms with the leading men’s health charity, focused on raising funds and awareness amongst the professional fraternity.
For the past three seasons, Prostate Cancer UK has been a partner of the Scottish Senior Open but they will now focus their attention on a tournament which has attracted around a quarter of a million spectators over the duration of the Travis Perkins sponsorship.
To celebrate 15 years of the Travis Perkins Masters, the opening day of the tournament on Friday, August 31 has been designated ‘Free Friday’ with admission to the course free of charge. However all charitable donations collected by Prostate Cancer UK volunteers will go to the Official Charity, who provide a vital role in helping men in the 50+ age group most at risk of developing prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer UK will also collect donations at strategic points around the Woburn complex during rounds two and three on Saturday, September 1 and Sunday, September 2 when entry is charged at £15 (£10 in advance).
As golfers qualify at age 50 for the Staysure Tour, Prostate Cancer UK is a perfect fit with the senior golfing community. Over 26,000 men are living with, and after, prostate cancer in Scotland, while more than 47,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, making it the most common type of cancer among men.
Prostate Cancer UKy’s director of fundraising James Beebysaid: “We’re proud of our work across the great game of golf and it’s great to continue our work with the European Senior Tour for a fourth successive year.
“The sad fact is, prostate cancer exists in every golf club, but by having a presence at the Travis Perkins Masters, we can help raise awareness and funds to knock this disease out of bounds.
“One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes; it’s the most common cancer in men, but we want to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear.
“The money raised will fund ground-breaking research to help fight the disease. That will help us provide dedicated support and information to men and their families affected by this disease. We thank the European Senior Tour for their continued support and look forward to a great tournament.”
Travis Perkins plc chief executive John Carter said: "We are delighted that Prostate Cancer UK is the nominated charity partner of the Travis Perkins Masters this year.
“Our Keyline brand has supported Prostate Cancer UK for over nine years and has raised a considerable sum of money for the charity but more importantly we have taken an active role in raising men’s health issues amongst our customer, supplier and colleague base across the industry which is still relatively male dominated."
David MacLaren, head of the Staysure Tour, added: As we have stressed in the past, we hope to exploit the power of sport to help raise awareness of this debilitating disease.
“Prostate Cancer UK has previously embarked on a number of powerful campaigns – most notably the Men United campaign across football, rugby league and many other sports – and we hope that those participating in the Travis Perkins Masters can help deliver this important message to a wide audience.”
