Breast cancer will affect you or at least one woman (or man) you know in your lifetime. When caught early and in localised stages the 5-year survival rate is 99%, so it is all the more important to spread awareness about spotting signs and symptoms.
We generally relate breast cancer to older women, with mammograms starting as women enter their late 40’s early 50’s when breast tissue is less dense and cancer can be detected. In the UK, 56,000 cases (2.2million worldwide) are diagnosed every year, that’s 150 a day! But did you know that 2,500 people in the UK under the age of 40 are diagnosed each year, usually when women notice a lump or a change, and that’s why checking your breasts regularly is so important.
To coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness month, I’d love to see golf clubs, counties and national golf teams broadcast the importance of the signs of breast cancer. Education for the younger generations will be the difference between life and death and golf can be the platform to really spread this message.
The amazing charity Coppafeel is just one charity giving breast cancer awareness talks to young women across the UK. Their founder Kristen Halenga was only 23 when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 incurable cancer. Now the "Boobettes" travel the UK telling her story and their own (they are all cancer survivors or sufferers). If you work with young women in golf, please get in touch with Coppafeel and request a Boobettes visit to talk to your women and girls’ sections.
CoppaFeel Cup Golf Days
Corrine Binks, known as the Golfing Princess, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2020. Two weeks after her initial diagnosis she underwent a mastectomy, later opting for an elective second mastectomy and finishing her final radiation treatment on her birthday. It was a whirlwind but Binks was lucky. She found the cancer early.
Binks, who organises the annual CoppaFeel Cup at Crookhill Park in Doncaster is adamant that golf is the perfect vehicle to help raise awareness. Initially only setting out to organise the day in her first year of diagnosis, she heads into her 5th year in 2025, not only cancer free but on a mission. Her cancer was found really early and she wants to spread the word that knowing the signs and early diagnosis can save your life. Having now raised over £16,000 for charity Binks is still adamant about why she continues to host the cup that is growing each year.
“Awareness is power. The awareness we raise is far more valuable than the funds. With so many men attending the CoppaFeel Cup I can help them learn that they too need to check their chests, 400 men are diagnosed every year in the UK alone. I’ve met two of them whilst sitting in various waiting rooms going through my treatment. You assume they’re there for their other halves but in fact they’re there for themselves.” Binks continues to Play Golf after Breast Cancer and support other golfers who are diagnosed or who have loved ones affected.
LIV Supporting Breast Cancer Patients And Their Families
Raising awareness is something that LIV golf has at its core. Not only because of individuals in the LIV family affected by breast cancer, but also having teams within LIV has naturally formed pockets of support.
Charl Schwartzel’s wife Rosalind was diagnosed in the early part of this year aged just 39, whilst her husband was playing in LIV Jedah. Eight weeks later Shwartzel’s entire Stinger GC team of South African players led by Louis Oosthuizen, Dean Burmester and Branden Grace, caddies and management showed their support for Rosalind and shaved their heads.
In support of the amazing Ros Schwartzel and all women around the world with cancer. If you want to show your support and join us, please send in your photos / videos of you shaving your heads and we will be posting them to help raise further awareness and hopefully save lives 🙏… pic.twitter.com/3zFAKNm6CNApril 24, 2024
Schwartzel wanted to both support his wife and raise awareness of early diagnosis. Her cancer was caught in the early stages (thankfully the prognosis is good) and she is undergoing treatment and surgery in MD Anderson, Houston. Widely regarded as the world's leading Oncology center, this is where Phil Mickleson’s wife Amy was treated after diagnosis in 2009, then his mother Mary, two months later.
Morgan Pressel Foundation And Her Mammovan
The LPGA is also one big family and supporting each other is what they do best. Morgan Pressel, the 35-year-old Major champion and now lead analyst for LPGA coverage on the Golf Channel, raised $900,000 in January at her annual Morgan & Friends charity event, and over the years her foundation has raised a total of $12.5 million in the fight against breast cancer.
Pressel is in the process of getting a second Mammovan out onto the streets of Florida following the success of the first which has seen 18,000 mammograms and detected 60 cancers. She has also recently partnered with Short Game Gains, founded by tour professionals Fred Lindblom and Hannah Gregg. They launched the partnership with a limited edition pink case for a stainless steel putting mirror with proceeds going to the foundation.
New Initiative - Golf Fore Her
England Golf has just released a phenomenal programme called Golf Fore Her, centering around women’s health and taking into account breast health. The governing body is keen to support women going through stages in their lives such as menopause and menstruation and wants to encourage other golfers to support them.
I would urge golf clubs to get in touch with England Golf and make a song and dance about Golf Fore Her, perhaps organise a wellbeing event for female members/non-members to come and be supported. Many clubs can really use this as a chance to be there for their women and even perhaps raise money for a breast cancer care charity.
Golf is such a great sport for raising awareness about breast cancer because of the supportive and community-driven spirit that female (and male) golfers create simply by coming together in a sport that they love, although it’s fair to say that women share their experiences more openly than men, discuss their health with their friends, ask questions about things they’re unsure of, and are enthusiastic about getting others involved.
Together we are stronger and that is true in all we do. When it comes to facing a cancer diagnosis, or diagnosing early enough to help save lives, golf is the perfect vehicle. Golf makes us fairly vulnerable and peels back the layers of us as humans. We learn so much about ourselves and can really be ourselves within this sport. We all hit it good and we all hit it badly, it’s how we deal with those wins and losses that matter. In life we can deal with them together as a community, network as one big golfing family.
