Stars gather for GolfSixes Pro-Am in St Albans

Love Island star Chris Hughes and Gary Beadle from hit show Geordie Shore will make their debuts in the event, which starts off an exciting weekend of golf at Centurion Club on Friday, May 4.

TV host Vernon Kay, who will once again co-host the fast and fun six-hole European Tour event, will also tee off in the Pro-Am before he takes on hosting duties alongside Golfing World’s Anna Whiteley over the weekend of Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6.

Also playing in the pro-am will be Irish music stars Keith Duffy of Boyzone and Westlife’s Brian McFadden.

World Cup-winning rugby star Schalk Burger will bring a competitive edge to proceedings, alongside his Saracens team-mate and fellow South African Schalk Brits.

They will be joined by TV and Heart radio presenter Jenni Falconer.

She will compete as part of a new activity with the PGAs of Europe in conjunction with love.golf, as she is guided through the process of being introduced to the game, learning, and ultimately becoming a fully-fledged golfer.

The activity aims to shine a light on the journey that female golfers can take to get into golf, looking at the various challenges, questions and benefits that can be experienced by women and girls.

Jenni’s experiences will act as a live case study detailing her progress as she learns more about playing golf and becoming a golfer.

On her golf journey from beginner to playing in front of a crowd, Jenni said: “I’ve always wanted to play golf, and I decided that 2018 was the year I was going to learn.

“I’ve never played before so I want to know if it’s possible and if I can do it.

“Luckily I’ve recruited some friends to help me try and achieve it, and the PGAs of Europe have added the extra challenge of giving me just a few months to go from a complete novice to competitor in front of spectators!”

She added: “It baffles me as to why women in general aren’t playing as much golf – they’ll go and join a gym, they’ll go to a spin class but they wouldn’t think, ‘I want to go and play golf in my free time’.

“So my aim is to show that we should be going to play golf, it is possible and it is something that is just as enjoyable as all the other activities women do in their spare time.

“Golf can appear to be one of the least-accessible activities at the moment and it does seem to be a such a male-dominated sport so let’s change that.”

YouTuber Seb Carmichael Brown, of Seb on Golf and Hashtag United fame, will also be participating in the GolfSixes Pro-Am and, of course, sharing his experiences on social media.

This year’s GolfSixes event features some exciting new developments with the inclusion of wildcard teams, including an England Women’s Team of Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, and a Captains Team pairing Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn and his Solheim Cup counterpart Catriona Matthew, as they become the first male and female professionals to play together in a competitive match play format on the European Tour.

The draw has also pitted the two England teams against each other in Group D.

Defending champions Lucas Bjerregaard and Thorbjørn Olesen will return to represent Denmark in the fast-paced competition, as the 16 international teams battle for a total prize fund of €1million, with the eventual winners receiving €100,000 each.

The 16 teams will compete over six holes in a group stage, with teams split into four groups of four.

The top two teams from each group will 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.

In the group stages, three points will be given for victory with one point awarded for a draw, and the matches will be played in a greensomes match play format.

Once again the six holes will be themed, with the popular shot clock hole returning – with a penalty imposed if players take longer than 30 seconds per shot – alongside the long drive and closest to the pin holes.

The innovative six-hole competition will have a festival feel with a centrally-located Fan Zone full of entertainment for all the family.

Tickets are priced at £5 for children and £16 for adults.

They are available now at europeantour.com/tickets

The GolfSixes Groups (full match schedule to be confirmed):

Group A

Denmark – Lucas Bjerregaard and Thorbjørn Olesen

Thailand – Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Thongchai Jaidee

USA – Daniel Im and David Lipsky

European Women – Carlota Ciganda and Mel Reid.

Group B

Australia – Sam Brazel and Wade Ormsby

South Korea – Jeunghun Wang and Soomin Lee

Spain – Pablo Larrazábal and Adrian Otaegui

European Captains – Thomas Bjørn and Catriona Matthew.

Group C

France – Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Romain Wattel

Italy – Edoardo Molinari and Renato Paratore

Scotland – Scott Jamieson and Richie Ramsay

Ireland – Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan.

Group D

England – Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace

South Africa – George Coetzee and Haydn Porteous

Sweden – Alexander Björk and Joakim Lagergren

England Women – Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.