April 12, 2018

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the European Tour Foundation have been selected as the Official Charity Partners of GolfSixes, the European Tour’s innovative short format event taking place at Centurion Club in St Albans on May 5-6, 2018.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity raises money solely to support The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer centre. They ensure their nurses, doctors and research teams can provide the very best care and develop life-saving treatments, which are used across the UK and around the world.

From funding state-of-the-art equipment and ground-breaking research, to creating the very best patient environments, they will never stop looking for ways to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

The European Tour Foundation works with charities, players, governing bodies and partners to ensure a lasting legacy in the countries where the European Tour plays.

The announcement was made at Centurion Club today with support from three of the players who will be participating in the second edition of GolfSixes – Lucas Bjerregaard of defending champions Denmark and the England Women’s Team of Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.

Nick Rose, Head of the European Tour Foundation, said: “The European Tour Foundation is delighted to join The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity as an Official Charity partner of GolfSixes. We are entering a new era which sees the European Tour embarking on a far greater, global philanthropic strategy and we are very much looking forward to being involved in this exciting event.”

The Royal Marsden opened its doors in 1851 as the world’s first hospital dedicated to cancer diagnosis, treatment, research and education. Today, together with its academic partner, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), it is the largest comprehensive cancer centre in Europe.

The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity have launched their biggest ever capital appeal to build the new Clinical Care and Research Centre (CCRC) at The Royal Marsden in Sutton. This new Centre will give The Royal Marsden increased capacity to treat more patients in the best possible environments and, with researchers under the same roof as clinicians, there will be more accelerated progress in new treatments.

Edwin Drummond, Head of Philanthropy, The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, said: “The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity is thrilled to be the Official Charity Partner of GolfSixes and is delighted to be working with The European Tour Foundation at this unique event.

"The new Clinical Care and Research Centre will ensure that more patients will be able to benefit from the research breakthroughs of The Royal Marsden. We are extremely grateful for the support of GolfSixes, and all that are involved, which will help The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity fund our appeal.”

European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn and Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew will join forces in a world first for professional golf when GolfSixes, the six-hole team event, returns to the European Tour schedule in May.

The Dane and the Scot will be the first male and female professionals to play together in a competitive match play format when they form the ‘Captains Team’ - one of four wild card selections introduced to this year’s event which also include Hall and Hull’s England Women’s Team and a European Women’s Team’ featuring England’s Mel Reid and Suzann Pettersen of Norway.

A total of 16 teams will compete over six holes in a group stage on Saturday May 5, before the top two teams from each group progress to the knockout stages – the quarter-finals, the semi-finals, a third/fourth place play-off match and the final on Sunday May 6.

Mark Casey, Championship Director of GolfSixes, said: “We are delighted to welcome The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity and the European Tour Foundation as the first Official Charity Partners of GolfSixes.

“This is a relatively new event on the European Tour, just the second edition, but it is important to us to continue to build a legacy. The event already benefits young people through GolfSixes League partnerships that are growing across Europe and we are delighted to have the opportunity make a further positive impact by helping to raising funds for two such fantastic charities.”

As part of the festival feel to GolfSixes, the Centurion Club will once again this year feature an array of entertainment for spectators to enjoy outside the ropes in the centrally-located Fan Zone. Tickets for the event, which will feature amphitheatre-style stands around tees and greens, music and pyrotechnics on the first tee and player engagement across the course, are on sale now for just £16 for adults and £5 for children HERE