Ex-rugby star Ferris in 24-hour golf quest to aid air ambulance

FORMER Irish and Ulster rugby star Stephen Ferris will play almost 24 hours of golf across four of Ireland’s Royal courses to raise money for the Air Ambulance.

The ex-British and Irish Lion (right) will be joined by former Irish international Andrew Park and two businessmen on their 225-mile green challenge.

The players and Gary Irwin, joint managing director of Bedeck, and Ashley Moore, chief executive of Spatialest, will tee off at 4.30am on June 20 from the Royal Curragh in Co Kildare, be- fore making their way to Royal Dublin.

The team will then fly by helicopter to Royal Belfast and finish at Portrush Royal at dusk.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Stephen said: “It will be a long day on the golf course.

“I think this will fun. There’s four of us and we can keep each other in good spirits and try to enjoy it as much as we can.

“We hope that the weather will be good to us.

“Any challenges that I face, you go out hard and think it will be easy.

“Then you get three-quarters of the way through and it hits home that you have another 18 holes to go.

“So it’s about keeping it slow and steady and keep encouraging each other and keep the spirits high, particularly if the weather isn’t great.”

The mega golfing challenge is in aid of Air Ambulance NI and Children in Crossfire. The air ambulance needs to raise £2m to keep its service going for a year.

“The people involved with air ambulance are doing a fantastic job and are on top of things and saving lives,” Stephen added.

“It costs a lot of money to keep the air ambulance going, so every pound will keep it in the air.

“Every shot we hit is to raise money for the air ambulance and Children in Crossfire.

“We are all similar handicaps and we are trying to get caddies to help out and pick out clubs, so that might speed us up.

“Portrush will give the best light so we can play until late.”