UK footgolf title is poignant for Sussex star Richard

Brighton Footgolf’s Richard Philp won the Seniors UK Footgolf Open in Cambridge – and dedicated the victory to his mother-in-law who passed away last month.
Richard with his trophyRichard with his trophy
Richard with his trophy

The victory means Richard, who lives in Worthing, has resurrected his chances of qualifying for the footgolf world cup, which takes place in Japan next year.

Richard produced an against-the-odds display after suffering a thigh strain at the end of the second round, leaving him largely reliant on his left leg.

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“I felt a sudden surge of pain and I wasn’t sure if I could continue because I had another full round to play,” said Richard, founder and owner at Brighton Footgolf in Hove.

“But I just thought of my family and it drove me to carry on through the pain barrier. When I won, it suddenly hit me.

After all the difficulty of Covid and losing Mary, my mother-in-law, I shed a couple of tears.

It’s been a tough time for the family but it felt good to have something positive happen and to be able to dedicate it to her.” Richard is currently ranked number three in the UK seniors, but needs to finish inside the top two to qualify for Japan 2021.

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* Meanwhile Brighton Footgolf is giving £250 to a local charity to thank customers for their support during a challenging year.

Customers have created a shortlist of more than 20 local charities, which people can now vote for at the Brighton Footgolf website.

Richard said: “Once we reopened, the response from customers has been amazing and saved us from going under. We wanted to give something back.”

Visit brightonfootgolf.com to cast your vote.