St Andrews Legacy hopes to capitalise on Open Championship

A charity based in St Andrews that uses golf to help wounded and ill exservicemen rebuild their lives hopes to capitalise on the Open coming to town next month.

St Andrews Legacy, which helps soldiers through their long and difficult rehabilitation process, will be organising visits by Canadian and US veterans to coincide with the championship.

Seven veterans from Canada, the US and Australia recently travelled to Scotland to play the country’s top courses including the Old Course, Eden, Duke’s, Crail Balcomie Links, Royal Aberdeen and Machrihanish.

The logistics of organising a week-long visit by golfers with a range of physical abilities is always a challenge, including dealing with equipment problems.

But when one of the British participants broke his arm two days before the event was due to start, it was too late to bring in another exserviceman, so the charity’s founder stepped in to make up the eight.

The power of golf to help heal the psychological impact of serving in war and overcoming physical injuries is clear from the stories of those who take part in the charity’s trips.

Paul Adams, 27, a Canadian veteran who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after a tour in Kosovo and two in Afghanistan, said: “Golf saved my life. Golf got me motivated to get back on my feet and get my life together.

“I went back to school, joined the Soldier On golf camp. It turned the corner for me and opened my eyes so that I realised there are other people out there having the same problems I’m having.”

Josh Tankersley joined the US Army Reserve in 2008 at 21 and two years later suffered back, shoulder and leg injuries from an explosion in Iraq. He lost his left leg and has had 30-plus reconstructive surgeries.

He said: “I couldn’t walk for a year. Golf helped me develop and relax. Psychologically and physically it helped me to rehabilitate. I was in deep depression.”