![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/The-Cairns-Cup-film-Official-Team-Shot-v1-1024x375.png\")
Many of the players from the 2024 event will be back in 2026<\/p>\nThe Cairns Cup, widely regarded as disability golf\u2019s premier matchplay event, has announced the squads for Team USA and Team Europe ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 competition at San Roque Club in Sotogrande, Spain, from July 11-18.<\/p>\n
Founded by Englishmen Kevin Booth and Ian Halliwell in 2018, The Cairns Cup has rapidly become the flagship international competition for adaptive golfers, bringing together athletes with various disabilities in a Ryder Cup-style format that celebrates skill, determination, and sportsmanship at the highest level.<\/p>\n
The biennial event honors the memory of Scotland\u2019s Billy Cairns, who passed away the day before the 2018 Phoenix Cup in Florida \u2014 an event that inspired the founders to create something truly special for the disability golf community.<\/p>\n
Team USA enters the 2026 competition as defending champions, having secured victories in both previous editions \u2013 running out convincing 21-3 winners at The Shire London in 2022, and then edging out Europe 12.5-11.5 at Cherry Hills in Michigan in 2024.<\/p>\n
Many of the players from the 2024 event will be back in 2026<\/p>\n
The 2024 event saw Brandon Williams sink the decisive putt to secure victory for Team USA after a lightning delay, with the competition going down to the final matches\u2014a testament to the rising competitiveness of the event.<\/p>\n
The San Roque Club\u2019s legendary Old Course provides a prestigious stage for the 2026 competition. Steeped in history, the venue hosted 15 consecutive European Tour Schools from 1993-2007 and the Spanish Open in 2005. The club also served as team accommodation during the iconic 1997 Ryder Cup at nearby Valderrama.<\/p>\n
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San Roque\u2019s stunning championship course will host the Cairns Cup next July<\/p>\n
Designed by Dave Thomas, the championship course features bent-grass tees, greens, and fairways surrounded by 75 strategically placed bunkers, with massive greens averaging 7,500 square feet across 6,813 yards of formidable play.<\/p>\n
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2026 Cairns Cup team captains Kris Aves (Europe) and Greg Hooper (USA)<\/p>\n
Next year will see Team Europe captained by Englishman Kris Aves, a former policeman who was paralyzed in the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack in 2017. Kris has competed in two Cairns Cups and now brings his inspirational leadership to the captain\u2019s role. His journey from tragedy to triumph embodies the spirit of The Cairns Cup.<\/p>\n
Team USA will be led by Greg Hooper,\u00a0a highly respected figure within the United States Blind Golf Association. Greg has played in both previous Cairns Cups, helping secure victories each time. His experience and leadership will be crucial as USA seeks a third consecutive title.<\/p>\n
TEAM EUROPE
Charlie Appleyard\u00a0(England) \u2013 Vice-Captain, founder of Sports Parkinson\u2019s
Cian Arthurs\u00a0(Ireland) \u2013 Two-time World One-Armed Champion
Marc Oller Astort\u00a0(Spain) \u2013 Spanish blind golfer competing on home soil
Jos\u00e9 Bagnarelli\u00a0(Italy) \u2013 2024 Cairns Cup veteran
Jason Croucher\u00a0(England) \u2013 Founder of Brokenplayaz, ranked 6th in England
Graham Freeman\u00a0(Belgium) \u2013 Paraplegic paragolfer, inaugural Woburn Open winner
Miroslav Halmo\u00a0(Slovakia) \u2013 First Slovak player in Cairns Cup history
Oliver Hirst-Greenham\u00a0(England) \u2013 2023 English Open champion\u00a0
Mike Jones\u00a0(Wales) \u2013 Former European No.\u00a01, multiple EDGA title
Giulia Marabotti\u00a0(Italy) \u2013 Overcame 13 surgeries to win 2024 Nations Cup
Iain Millar\u00a0(England) \u2013 2024 Cairns Cup veteran
Issa Nlareb\u00a0(Italy\/Cameroon) \u2013 Ranked 8th in world paragolf
Melody Roccaz\u00a0(France) \u2013 European champion in seated play
Patrick Rosenast\u00a0(Switzerland) \u2013 First Swiss representative, cancer survivor
Cassidy Steffens\u00a0(England) \u2013 World ranked 22nd, Tourette Syndrome advocate<\/p>\n
TEAM USA
Brandon Williams\u00a0(Ohio) \u2013 Vice-Captain, 2024 winning putt hero
Adam Benza\u00a0(Philadelphia) \u2013 Founder of Moving Foreward\u00a0
Bryan Biagioli\u00a0(Michigan) \u2013 President of Michigan Amputee Golf Association
Andreas Brandenberger\u00a0(California) \u2013 Phocomelia advocate and motivational speaker
Jarrett Fultz\u00a0(Arizona) \u2013 Led high school team to state title
Jason Hasty\u00a0(Virginia) \u2013 Founder of NUBZ Golf Solutions
Ryan Matthews\u00a0(Indiana) \u2013 Top 12 one-armed golfer in North America
Shawn Munn\u00a0(Colorado) \u2013 Top 30 WR4GD, double amputee
William Pease\u00a0(Florida) \u2013 Multi-time National and US Open Blind Golf Champion
Orlando Ramirez\u00a0(Florida) \u2013 USBGA international competitor
Jason Rose\u00a0(Michigan) \u2013 2024 Cairns Cup veteran
Ely Self\u00a0(Georgia) \u2013 2023 Georgia Adaptive Open champion
Cassandra Sengul\u00a0(Virginia) \u2013 Drew University freshman, cerebral palsy advocate
Jamie Srubas\u00a0(Georgia) \u2013 Stroke survivor, GSGA Adaptive Golf volunteer
James Tipton\u00a0(Florida) \u2013 Executive Director, Florida Panhandle Golf Therapy Alliance
Cathy Walch\u00a0(Illinois) \u2013 Two-time USGA Adaptive Open women\u2019s upper limb champion<\/p>\n
The Cairns Cup operates on a unique model ensuring financial accessibility \u2013 players are selected based on ability and merit, not financial means. The organisation is raising \u20ac200,000 to fully fund all 34 players for the 2026 competition, covering travel, accommodation, and tournament expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis event is about so much more than just golf,\u201d said co-founder Kevin Booth. \u201cIt\u2019s about giving every player, regardless of their financial situation, the chance to compete at the highest level, forming lifelong friendships, and proving that disability is no barrier to sporting excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n
The week-long event includes a charity golf day, opening ceremony, three days of competition\u00a0\u2013 fourballs, foursomes, and singles matches \u2013 followed by a gala & presentation dinner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Cairns Cup, widely regarded as disability golf\u2019s premier matchplay event, has announced the squads for Team USA…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":246807,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-246806","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}