The fabled Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club will be making a new piece of history when it becomes the first course on either side of the Atlantic to stage two Simpson Cups, with this year’s event taking place from September 24-27.

The Lancashire-based links – which has hosted 11 Open Championships, two Ryder Cups, the Women’s and Senior Open Championships and the Walker Cup – first became a Simpson Cup venue in 2013, and it is with great delight that committee, players and volunteers will be returning to this hallowed turf.

Inaugurated in 2012, the Simpson Cup pits 13 injured Service members and veterans from both Great Britain and the USA against one another in an annual, Ryder Cup-style tournament that raises funds and awareness for On Course Foundation - a charitable organisation which is registered in both countries.

Since its inauguration, the event has graced esteemed golf courses such as TPC Sawgrass, Congressional Country Club, Royal St George’s Golf Club, Oak Hill Country Club, St Andrews Links and, most recently, Baltusrol Golf Club in 2022.

All competitors involved are members of the Foundation, which helps injured, sick or wounded veterans rebuild their lives; both through being given the opportunity to play the game, and attaining employment in the golf industry.

The tournament is named after its founder, John Simpson, former Senior Vice-President of International Management Group. Simpson, who himself only has one fully-functioning leg as a result of suffering polio as a child, is also the Chairman and Founder of On Course Foundation, and has managed players such as Sir Nick Faldo, Vijay Singh and Bernhard Langer.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be coming back to Lytham, where we have such fond memories of our last visit a decade ago,” Simpson commented. “This is a golf course steeped in prestige, and I know how excited the players are to get over there, and make their own piece of history.”

He continued: “The tournament continues to go from strength to strength, and I look back with great pride on how far we’ve come. We’ve got excellent momentum as a charity at the moment, and this year’s showpiece will be yet another springboard to allow us to help more veterans – on both sides of the Atlantic.”

The Simpson Cup - kindly supported by the Sinclair Charity - is the marquee event for On Course Foundation, with a match play competition format – much the same as the Ryder Cup. The host nation are currently in possession of the trophy, having secured a memorable win at Baltusrol last year. That left the overall series delectably poised at 5-5, and the Brits will have history on their side, having triumphed at Royal Lytham back in 2013. But they will be facing a competitive and highly-motivated American outfit, who will be seeking a first victory on British soil in six years.

What a golfing extravaganza it promises to be; on one of the best-designed links courses in the world, with 174 strategically-positioned pot bunkers peppering the fairways and surrounding the greens. And the committee is, of course, immensely grateful to our hosts.

“We are delighted to host the Simpson Cup again this year following the successful staging of the event in 2013," said Mike Wilson, Captain of Royal Lytham and St Annes Golf Club. “The competition has grown considerably in those 10 years so it will be an absolute pleasure to experience it here at Royal Lytham once again.

“We are profoundly grateful to these men and women for the sacrifices they have made, and it is uplifting to see the positive impact the game of golf can make in their lives. Our members and staff look forward to welcoming the two teams to our Club in September.”

The Simpson Cup commences on the evening of Sunday, September 24th with the Opening Ceremony and subsequent fundraising dinner. The following day sees the traditional player/sponsor competition taking place, before the tournament proper begins on the morning of Tuesday, September 26th with six four-ball matches (two against two, better ball). The competition then concludes on the Wednesday morning with 13 singles matches.

Proceedings will be rounded off later that day with the Cup being presented to the winning team at the Closing Ceremony, bringing down the curtain on another special four days for all involved.