Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.odt.co.nz
Silver Ferns captain Karin Burger, fresh from winning the Constellation Cup against Australia, will test her golfing skills at the sixth annual BrainTree Golfing with the Stars charity tournament.
The tournament will be held on Friday, November 7, at the Clearwater Golf Course. It is a major fundraiser for BrainTree, a wellness centre which opened in Langdons Rd, Papanui, in 2022 to support people with neurological conditions including Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and Dementia. Each day more than 300 people visit BrainTree to access its support services.
“Response to the annual tournament is always phenomenal,” says Phil Marshall-Lee, BrainTree’s general manager. Over the past five years the golf tournament has raised $946k for BrainTree, setting a record in 2024 with nearly $400k raised. BrainTree does not receive central government funding and relies on events such as the golf tournament to keep the organisation running.
Burger is one of 45 stars among the 180 people who will tee off this year including past and present international representatives of at least nine sporting codes, media personalities and even a rock star, Jordan Luck.
The star-studded lineup includes Olympians, high jumper Hamish Kerr, cyclist Hayden Roulston, and one of the country’s best ever swimmers Moss Burmester, a representative in four aquatic sports. All are keen and accomplished golfers.
International cricketers include Brian McKechnie (playing in the tournament for the fourth time), Chris Harris, John Wright, Lou Vincent, Mark Greatbatch, Mark Richardson, Neil Wagner, Paul McEwan, Rod Latham and Stephen Fleming.
Rugby is represented by Scott Robertson, Ben Blair, Casey
Laulala, Christian Cullen, Colin Slade (now on the BrainTree board), Corey Flynn, Graeme Bachop, Kieran Read, Victor Simpson, Warwick Tayor, and Willi Heinz. Former All White Alan Stroud is lining up with former NZ League representatives Hugh McGahan, Joe Vagana, Julian O’Neil, Mark Graham and Simon Mannering.
