One of the constants over the past 11 years has been the incredible support of our sponsors at the Simpson Cup. And once again, the ability for On Course Foundation to stage it is thanks to their continued generosity - along with all the help provided to us by Royal Lytham and St Annes and its members.

The traditional Monday Player/Sponsor competition provides an opportunity for us to connect our supporters with the beneficiaries of their donations: the Simpson Cup players. Perhaps more importantly, it allows them to get a first-hand glimpse of how their sponsorship has made such a difference to the lives of these injured and sick veterans.

Today was no exception, as was clear with the fervour and bonhomie on display on the putting green beforehand, and the players were greeted by pleasantly-warm weather to boot. The competition format saw each group playing in a fiveball Scramble, with some good numbers posted on the day. In the end it was the contingent of Chris Hibbert, Tom Mercer, David Andrews, David Hill and Team GB's Mike Browne who took the spoils - shooting a remarkable nett score of 53.6.

Tuesday fourball pairings revealed

Amid the camaraderie of a very enjoyable afternoon, there was also the sense among the players that they were beginning to turn their attention to the serious business of the upcoming two days. The time for preparation is now complete, with the six fourball matches getting under way tomorrow at 11:30am (BST).

Following the rules briefing, captains Marty Caraway (Team USA) and Dave Ward (Team GB) announced their pairings (see screenshot below), and, in terms of notable match-ups, there is no shortage to choose from - with strength and depth across all six matches, and a number of enticing duels that will surely go down to the wire.

For Team USA, who come into this year's event off the back of a defeat at Baltusrol last year, the need for a fast start on Tuesday is particularly acute. And in this format, history is on the side of Caraway's charges, with the Americans having racked up a commanding 36 points in the fourball matches (out of a possible 60) since 2012, so the visitors will be confident that they can lay down a marker in their quest for victory.

Ward will nonetheless be quietly confident, having assembled a team with plenty of experience, and who may benefit from the windy conditions forecast for tomorrow. What an exciting day we have in store!
 
You can keep track of the live scoring on Tuesday and Wednesday on our website by clicking here, or alternatively via the Golf Genius website here. Additionally, the Team GB and Team USA Twitter accounts, along with our Instagram account, will bring it all to your screen, as it happens. Take it all in folks - Simpson Cup 2023 is ready for lift off!