At Baltusrol next month, the Simpson Cup celebrates its 10th year. And it could hardly be more fitting that, on this special occasion, Team GB have decided to hand the captaincy reins to one of only two remaining ever-presents: Dave Ward.
Even more fittingly, Ward was also the captain at the inaugural event at TPC Sawgrass a decade ago, where he memorably led his side to an 11.5/6.5 victory. To date, it remains the sole victory for the Brits on American soil, and it’s a triumph Ward remembers with great fondness.
“That week at Sawgrass was just unbelievably special,” the 57-year old reflected. “I was one of the first members to join On Course Foundation (OCF) back in 2010, and the creation of the Simpson Cup was the culmination of the strides the charity made in those early years.”
He continued: “I still remember that first tee shot so well. The hush around the course, the nerves, and all the excitement. Luckily the team played brilliantly that week, and managed to get the job done. The memory of being the first player to lift the Simpson Cup is one that will stay with me forever.”
As is the case with every participant, Ward served in the military, and first enlisted with the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT) back in 1983. He was initially posted in Minden, Germany for two-and-a-half years, before being transferred to Belfast. And it was during this period that his life changed forever.
“My brothers were in the Armed Forces, and they seemed to be having a great time!” Ward recalled with a smile. “I also felt that sense of duty to serve my country. Although I was fortunate in that I played a lot of sport during my time with RCT. Basketball, cricket, tennis, rugby – you name it, I played it. But then came the accident, and that was that.”
The accident he refers to was outside of combat, and a high-profile one, at that. Ward was a passenger on British Midland Airways Flight 92, which crashed onto an embankment off the M1 motorway in 1989, while attempting to make an emergency landing at East Midlands Airport. Of the 126 people aboard, 47 died - and Ward was the last person to be pulled off the plane alive.
“We were on Christmas/New Year’s leave at the time, and everything was going so well for me,” Ward remembers ruefully. “I was enjoying military life, I was about to get married. We were planning the wedding, had got a dress, and we’d even just bought our first house.
“At the end of the holidays, I was on my way back to Belfast, and sat next to the engine which caught fire. They told us we were diverting to East Mids, but the pilots switched the wrong engine off. It was too late by the time they realised their mistake, and we didn’t quite make it to the runway.”
He added: “I was in an induced coma for three weeks after that, and broke pretty much every bone in my body – other than my right arm. I had to have my right leg amputated too. But I suppose I was one of the lucky ones to survive.”
After such an ordeal, normal life seemed elusive for Ward. Even after making a recovery, working wasn’t physically possible or sustainable, and winters are particularly challenging for him. He needed a purpose, and that’s where golf came in.
“Ironically, of all the sports I used to play before the accident, golf wasn’t one of them,” Ward noted. “But I started playing for the British Amputee Golf Association, and with Blesma too. It was they who then put me in touch with John Simpson and OCF, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
And what a history it has been, having played the finest courses on either side of the Atlantic as part of the Simpson Cup. Over a 10-year period, Ward has rode the highs, and endured the occasional low of representing his country on the competitive stage. But, having now come full circle in this fantastic event, the man from Devon is simply relishing the moment – albeit with a steely determination to help his team regain the trophy, and level the overall series at 5-5.
“It’s been a hell of an adventure since 2012,” Ward beamed. “I didn't think I'd get the opportunity to be captain again. The charity has grown immeasurably, and there are many talented OCF members now. So, I jumped at the chance to have another crack. It really is such a great honour for me.
“I’m also looking forward to reconnecting with our American friends again at Baltusrol. But make no mistake – we’re there to win it, and I’m confident we’ve got the team to do it.”
FUN QUESTIONS - RAPID FIRE:
Player to look out for this year? Tim O’Reilly (debutant)
Teammate with worst fashion sense? Bish! By miles
Teammate with best sense of humour? Dave Onions
Favourite sports team? Liverpool FC
Childhood Hero? Steve Heighway
Favourite Food? Lasagne
Favourite Drink? Whiskey
Favourite Band? Stereophonics
Score prediction for Simpson Cup? 10-8 GB
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