Staff WriterIf you’ve ever walked off the 18th feeling heroic purely because you found your ball and your car keys, Prostate Cancer UK has a summer mission with your name on it.
The Big Golf Race is back for 2026 in association with Charles Tyrwhitt, and the charity wants golfers across the UK to turn their rounds into something that matters far beyond the clubhouse banter: funding life-saving research into the most common cancer in the UK.
Since launching in 2020, The Big Golf Race has grown into a proper staple of the UK golf calendar—more than 10,000 golfers have raised over £6 million, helping push forward the way prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated. Not bad for an “excuse for an extra loop” that also happens to move the needle on men’s health.
Why this one hits home for golfers
Prostate cancer affects 1 in 8 men in the UK. That’s not a stat you shrug off with a bacon roll. It’s dads, grandads, brothers, partners and pals—often the very people you’re playing with on Saturday morning.
Prostate Cancer UK says the money raised through The Big Golf Race helps back major research efforts, including the £42 million TRANSFORM trial—described as the most ambitious prostate cancer screening trial in 20 years—which began recruiting men last year. In plain English: this is about getting better at finding prostate cancer earlier, and treating it smarter.
The launch, the prize, and the Cyprus carrot
The 2026 challenge was launched this week at the Aphrodite Hills Resort in Cyprus, with Prostate Cancer UK fundraisers and supporters—including Gladiators star Jamie ‘Giant’ Bigg and legendary broadcaster DJ Spoony—helping kick things off.
And because golfers are wonderfully susceptible to the promise of a “once-in-a-lifetime” trip (especially when it involves sunshine and striped fairways), there’s an extra nudge: golfers who raise over £300 this year will be entered into a prize draw to win a golf trip next year to the Aphrodite Hills Resort.
Go the distance on the course. Every swing saves lives. Take on The Big Golf Race in 2026. Sign up now.
Danny Willett: 10 years on, still backing the cause
The challenge has been backed by familiar faces from sport and entertainment over the years, including former Masters champion Danny Willett—who marks 10 years since that famous Augusta win this April.
He said: “The Big Golf Race has gone from strength to strength and has really captured the imagination of golfers across the UK – and long may that continue. The challenge has made a massive impact for men affected by prostate cancer and their families and has helped to drive awareness among golfers and golf clubs across the country.
“We’ve had young golfers, professionals and golfers on YouTube picking up their clubs and saving lives with every swing, and I hope this year’s challenge is the biggest yet.
“2026 is a huge year for Prostate Cancer UK; I’ve heard about the first men now invited to take part in the £42 million TRANSFORM trial. The golf community’s support has been vital in supporting research like this and I hope more golfers will help change the game for men.”
It’s hard to argue with that. Golf has always been good at building communities. This is a chance to use that community for something that doesn’t end when the last putt drops.
Choose your challenge: 36, 72… or go properly feral
Golfers taking on The Big Golf Race can pick from three formats—each designed to test stamina, patience, and your relationship with the words “just one more hole”:
- The Half Marathon – 36 holes in one day
- The Marathon – 72 holes in one day
- The Ultra Marathon – 100 or more holes in a day
You can go solo, rope in your usual fourball, or build a team that treats it like a summer major with better snacks. However you do it, the point is the same: raise vital funds for research that could save thousands of lives every year.
What you get when you sign up
Prostate Cancer UK is leaning into practicality—because if there’s one thing golfers love, it’s gear that arrives before the first tee time.
Participants receive a dedicated fundraising pack, including Titleist golf balls, tees, pencils and a comprehensive fundraising guide, plus access to digital tools to track progress, build teams and climb the fundraising leaderboard.
In other words: you bring the legs and the swing thoughts; they bring the kit and the structure.
“So much more than just golf”
Seren Evans, Senior Head of Mass Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “The Big Golf Race is about so much more than just golf; together, we are saving lives with every swing.
By signing up to The Big Golf Race this year, you’ll get to have a great day out on the golf course with your mates, but you’ll also be doing something incredibly powerful that will have a big impact for men affected by prostate cancer and their families.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, and the only major cancer without a screening programme. The Big Golf Race is the golfing community’s chance to use their passion for the game to drive real change in men’s health in the UK.
Over 10,000 golfers have helped make a difference so far, and every swing helps fund lifesaving prostate cancer research, raise awareness, and moves us closer to a future where men can find prostate cancer early enough to be cured. Join us and help change the game for men.”
There’s the heart of it. The Big Golf Race isn’t just a day of golf; it’s a day of golf with a pulse.
Charles Tyrwhitt on board for 2026
For 2026, Charles Tyrwhitt will sponsor Prostate Cancer UK’s work across golf, including The Big Golf Race. The retailer will support participants with 20% off store-wide, including its performance range, and will also enter its own Big Golf Race team.
So yes, you can do something genuinely meaningful… and possibly look less like you got dressed in the pro shop clearance bin. Everyone wins.
How to sign up
To take part in this year’s Big Golf Race challenge or to find out more, visit biggolfrace.prostatecanceruk.org.
Because the truth is, golf already asks a lot of you—your time, your temper, your optimism. In 2026, The Big Golf Race asks for something else: a bit of distance, a bit of effort, and a swing that counts for far more than a scorecard.
