IN BRIEF
CLAIRE HOUSE HEROES
TO TAKE ON LONDON
MARATHON OPEN GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
TO RETURN TO WIRRAL’S
ROYAL LIVERPOOL IN 2022
A team of 21 fundraisers from Merseyside and Cheshire
are gearing up to tackle the Virgin Money London
Marathon to support their local children’s hospice. The world-renowned Open Golf Championship will be
returning to the Royal Liverpool club in Hoylake in 2022,
it has been announced.
On Sunday 28th April the team of Claire House runners will take
on the famous 26.2 miles, aiming to raise over £30,000. Every penny
raised will help to ensure that the doors to the hospice are kept open,
enabling more nurses to be working in the community and allowing
Claire House to reach and care for even more dying children in the
region. Running and Challenge Fundraiser, Laura Fallon, said: “We
are so grateful to this team of incredible men and women for taking
on the ultimate running challenge for Claire House. Their support
has come at such an important time, as the amount of children
Claire House supports has increased by 84% in the last six years and
the hospice is currently struggling to cope with demand. The occasion will mark the 13th time that golf ’s original championship
has been played over the famous Wirral links where many of the
greatest names in the sport have lifted the iconic Claret Jug. It will be
the 151st time the historic Open has been played. The Open last came
to Hoylake in 2014 when Rory McIlroy famously completed a wire-
to-wire victory by two strokes over Rickie Fowler and Sergio Garcia.
“Taking on a marathon is no mean feat – each of these runners will
have gone through months of gruelling training in all weathers, as
well as holding fundraising events to reach their sponsorship target.
Their dedication and commitment will help us to reach more of the
children and families who need us.”
Among the fundraisers is Paul Vicars, Headmaster of Birkenhead
School. Paul states “Anyone that knows me is aware that running
does not come naturally to me. However, the great work of Claire
House within its local community has been so obvious to us since
we arrived on the Wirral in 2016, that I thought I would undertake
the marathon to raise much needed funds before age truly catches
up with me. My training has experienced many highs and lows, but
the support of the School community and the knowledge of how
the funds will be put to good use, provides inspiration every time
motivation wanes. I can’t wait to experience the camaraderie of the
event with my fellow Claire House runners.”
You can see how the team are getting on and support their
fundraising at www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/
clairehouse/londonmarathon2019.
More than 230,000 fans turned out to watch Tiger Woods lift the
Claret Jug for the third time in his celebrated career when the Open
was played at Hoylake in 2006, which was a record attendance for a
Championship held outside of St Andrews until the total was surpassed
at Royal Birkdale in 2017.
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said: “The Open has a
strong affinity with England’s Golf Coast and following the success of
the Championship at Royal Birkdale two years ago we know that there
will be tremendous excitement among golf fans at the prospect of its
return to Royal Liverpool. Its famous links has a cherished history and
has produced a revered group of champion golfers, including Tiger
Woods and Rory McIlroy most recently. It will be fascinating to see
who will emerge from the world class field to lift the Claret Jug in 2022.”
Sir Ian Gilmore, captain of Royal Liverpool, said: “We are thrilled to
be hosting The Open at Hoylake again – the thirteenth to be held here.
Support for world class sport in Merseyside and the North West is
intense and passionate.
"Fans will turn out in force expecting another great winner to join
the pantheon of great champion golfers who have won at Hoylake –
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy being the last two – a testament to the
quality of our course that always seems to find the world’s best golfer.
Roll on 2022!”
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