PGA Professional Luke Willett embarks on epic 'Marathons of Golf Challenge'

10/02/2022

At the tail end of 2021, a PGA Professional embarked on the insane concept of not just playing every course in The Open Championship rota, but also running through every street of the towns where those courses are situated! That idea has become known as the ‘Marathons of Golf’ Challenge.

Luke Willett, who is the British Speedgolf Champion, has already completed the challenges of running the streets of Sandwich and Muirfield (Gullane) and, in the process, went on to play the famous courses on the very same day.

Even more amazingly, he completed Muirfield in a mind-boggling 41 minutes and took just 80 strokes, this after running every street! On top of Muirfield, Willett has also played England’s east coast gems of Royal St Georges and Prince’s in some unbelievably quick times.

So where has this inspiration come from? "Well, in 2019, I cycled 830 odd miles and played all 14 of the Open rota courses over 10 days”, explained Willet. “It was an incredible journey, but it was in and out, there wasn’t any time to enjoy meeting the local people, exploring the towns and the incredible scenery. I wanted to spend more time in these places, get to know them and that was what it was about.”

The challenge, which you can follow on Luke’s Instagram - @lukewillettgolf, has also seen the Southern region professional embark on the Home of Golf and St Andrews, with Willett running a total of 15 miles before tackling the Old Course Links with just 45 minutes of daylight remaining.

“We started off at sunrise after sleeping in the campervan,” explains Willett. “It was only about one-degree outside, so we warmed up and did a little walk-up to the R&A. After a few little runs up and down, we then just silently went off and ran this route that I had designed a few weeks beforehand with a neighbour.

“On the route I had a good mate of mine helping out, Richard Pennell, who used to be the Secretary of Woking Golf Club. He was the navigator and followed the route on his bike.

“After completing the 15 miles I stopped for food and made my way out onto the hallowed turf. I remember the starter saying ‘you’ve got a clear golf course, the group ahead is on the 15^th‘. What’s funny is that I caught up with them on the 17^th!

“I sort of appeared out of nowhere, because it was very dark at that point, and of course they wanted to know what was going on. Once I told them my story, they insisted I play through and cheered me off. I was then cheered off by another group on the fairway and then a final group on the 18^thtee. It was just a magical finish, a moment that will last with me forever.”

The challenge, which is all self-funded, is as real as it gets, with Willett documenting first-hand reactions to moments that occur throughout the day. “When you watch the video, I like to think that it shows the purer side of golf”, says Willet. “Yes, you tee off on a normal round of golf and nobody knows what the next shot is going to do, but if you dig deeper, everybody has those little journeys that they take to get to the golf course.

“For most people, the golf course is an essential part of the community. It’s a kind of hub and hopefully that is what the video shows off.

As a result of the challenges, Willett has received several positive messages, one of which was from a lady who commented that she hadn’t been aware of the other aspects of St Andrews. As a result, she has decided to ‘give the game another go.’

“She is looking at it from the point of view that she can go on holiday and not just play but explore all of these places. She has seen this other side of it. I mean, ‘how cool is that?’ That is what being a Professional is all about really. Why are we PGA Professionals? Because we want to show our love and passion for this sport. Thanks to these challenges, my passion for the game is as high as it’s ever been.”