Match play events, though few and far between, prove time and again that golf is a deeply emotional game. It’s a sport that challenges one’s own mental strength as much as physical skill. Throw an opponent into the mix, and some golfers may struggle, but others rise to the occasion. The Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black brought both career lows and heroic moments for some of the greatest players in the world.
The players’ love of country is a key theme of the Ryder Cup, and it’s also the main tenant driving the Simpson Cup, another passionate match play event this week.
The Simpson Cup is an annual tournament between teams of injured servicemen and veterans from the United States and Great Britain. Much like the Ryder Cup, players on both teams spend the year working to qualify for their teams.
“This is the cream of the crop,” said Mike Browne, a scratch golfer who lost his left leg serving in the British Army’s 29 Commando Regiment. “It means a lot to a lot of us, it’s amazing.”
Some players at the Simpson Cup are amputees, often the result of IEDs or mortar explosions while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Many of the veterans deal with severe depression or PTSD. But all of them see golf as a lifeline, an important part of their rehabilitation, both mental and physical.
“We all have a special bond around golf and the military,” said U.S. Army SPC Chad Pfeifer, who walks the course with a prosthetic left leg. “This brings everyone together; the Simpson Cup is one of the best events.”
This year, the competition pits Team USA and Team GB against one another for a day of fourball matches at Prince’s Golf Club in Kent, England, and a day of singles matches next door at legendary Royal St. George’s.
In 2024, the Simpson Cup came down to the wire at Shinnecock Hills. After the Americans took a 4-2 lead in the fourballs, a strong British effort forced a 9.5-9.5 draw. The overall series is deadlocked at 6-6, with the last two matches ending in ties. The event visits some of the greatest venues in golf: TPC Sawgrass, Congressional, St. Andrews, Baltusrol and Royal Birkdale, just to name a few.
Competitors involved in the Simpson Cup are all members of the On Course Foundation, which helps injured veterans in both the U.S. and Great Britain land jobs in the golf industry.
This year’s matches will be played on Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday, October 1. You can follow along with the 2025 Simpson Cup online or on social media.