The Ross Aikenhead Charity Golf Day at Ashton-on-Mersey GC was a great success raising over £7,000 and awareness for SUDEP Action.
As a charity they provide information on SUDEP to significantly reduce epilepsy risk, provide bereavement support, drive research into SUDEP, capture epilepsy data across the UK and aim to bring about change.
The day was in memory of Ross Aikenhead aged 24, a talented golfer and footballer who tragically died following a seizure in 2024.
Although Ross had epilepsy it had very little impact on his life and it did not stop him doing anything during his life.
His family have been in contact with SUDEP looking to help the charity and the golf day was organised to support them and it attracted a full field of 116 golfers, plenty of caddies and non-golfers who gave their support.
Each golfer received tees and ball markers inscribed with ‘Be More Ross’ – a fitting reminder to not take life too seriously, to not worry about the small stuff, and to always smile. Lessons most golfers could benefit from!
Raffles, entry fees, donations etc helped boost the funds raised and there were plenty of prizes on offer for the players.
The winning team took home the 10&8 Trophy for which there is a special story which follows.
Ross’s brother Luke, handicap 9.0, was a regular partner of his dad John in club competitions for several years then in 2021 he told John to find another partner as he was going to play with Joe Denman, handicap 5.1, and called the team ‘The Bomb Squad’.
John, handicap 14/2, agreed to partner Ross, handicap 15.0 and in the following club Foursomes KO they were drawn against each other.
A remarkable match saw John and Ross win the first ten holes and claim a very rare 10&8 win (the odds of doing this are about 170,000-1) to leave their opponents devastated and set up the inspiration for the 10&8 trophy.
They clashed again in the same competition in the following year and John and Ross had a comfortable win, after halving the first hole, to keep family bragging rights.
On the charity day there may have been some questionable golf on display but the generosity was undeniable and a brilliant amount raised for SUDEP Action.
The winning team with 93 was Daniel Lambert, Michael Thorley, Matt Culf and Alex McBurnie.
The 10&8 trophy
Copy and Pictures thanks to Geoff Garnett
