The Isle of Wight Golf team will be looking to bring a gold medal back home when they take to the green in the Orkney Islands.
The men’s team comprises of Chris Hayward, George Foreman, Conner Knight and Nat Riddett.
Chris – who plays for Osborne Golf Club – is competing at his 2nd Island Games tournament. Shanklin & Sandown’s George Foreman is competing in his 8th Island Games and has already picked up a silver medal at the team event when the Isle of Wight hosted the games in 2011. Riddett – another Shanklin & Sandown golfer – is playing at his 3rd Island Games. Conner Knight – who also plays for Shanklin & Sandown – is competing at his first Island Games.
Team Isle of Wight will need to watch out for the Channel Island golfers. Josef Hacker scooped gold for Jersey in 2023 in both the men’s individual event with gold in the men’s team event going to host island Guernsey.
The women’s team comprises of Sammi Keen, Lucy Burke, Caroline Johnson and Sophie Beardsall.
Island Games legend Beardsall – who plays for Greetham Valley in Rutland – is competing in her 10th games. She most recently won a silver medal in Gotland in 2017 and has 9 medals in total. Shanklin & Sandown’s Lucy Burke was part of the team of silver medallists from Gotland and is competing in her 4th games. Caroline Johnson – who plays for mainland club Tadmarton Heath – is Sophie’s sister and is playing in her 2nd games. She already has a podium place to her credit. Freshwater Bay Golf Club’s Sammi Keen is playing in her 4th Island games and has already taken 3 Island Games medals.
Bermuda and Jersey were the strongest female golfers at Guernsey in 2003, with Bermuda’s Ebonie Cox taking individual gold and Jersey’s Flora Keites scooping the silver medal. Team gold went to Bermuda with Jersey taking silver.
Sadly, the Isle of Wight haven’t won a single gold medal in any event in golf since 2011 – when the games were hosted here.
Golf action tees off at 08:00 on Monday 14th July and continues until Thursday 17th July.
