The game events, though a little and far away, prove time and again that golf is a deeply emotional game. It is a sport that challenges one’s mental strength as much as physical abilities. Discard an opponent in the mix, and some players can fight, but others rise in this case. The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black brought both career levels and heroic moments for some of the world’s biggest players.
The players’ love for the country is a main topic of the Ryder Cup, and is also the main tenant running the Simpson Cup, another passionate event for the game this week.
The Simpson Cup is an annual tour between the teams of injured military and veterans from the United States and the UK. Like Ryder Cup, players in both teams spend the year working to qualify for their teams.
“This is the core cream,” said Mike Browne, a scratched golf who lost his left foot serving in the 29th command regiment of the British army. “It means a lot to many of us. It’s amazing.”
Some players in the Simpson Cup are amputes, often the result of IED or mortar explosions while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of the veterans deal with severe depression or PTSD. But they all see golf as a salvation, an important part of their rehabilitation, both mental and physical.
“We all have a special link about golf and the military,” said US military SPC Chad Pfeifer, who walked the course with a left prosthetic foot. “This unites everyone; the Simpson Cup is one of the best events.”
This year, the Pits Team USA and Team GB competition against each other for a day of Fourball matches in Prince’s Golf Club in Kent, England, and one day single match next door at Legendary Royal St. George’s.
In 2024, the Simpson Cup went down to the wires in Shinnecock Hills. After the Americans took a 4-2 lead in Fourballs, a strong British effort forced a 9.5-9.5 draw. The general series is blocked at 6-6, with the last two matches ending in the relationship. The event visits some of the largest places in Golf: TPC Sawgrass, Congress, St. Andrews, Baltusrol and Royal Birkdale, just to name some.
Competitors included in the Simpson Cup are all members of In the course foundationwhich helps damaged veterans in both land work in the US and in the UK in the golf industry.
This year’s matches will be played on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1. You can follow along with the Simpson Cup 2025 online or in social media.
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