A Cornishman is set to live out a childhood dream after being selected to represent England at the 2026 Footgolf World Cup in Acapulco in Mexico.
Talan Annear, originally from St Austell and now living in St Dennis, will compete in this major international competition between May 27- June 7.
Annear, 27, only switched to footgolf just over two years ago, having previously played football and competed in golf as a single-figure handicapper. It was a local course — Goal in One, just 10 minutes from his home — that first sparked his interest in the sport – a mix of his favourites.
“I found it was the perfect mix of my two favourite sports,” he said. “The owners noticed I was there quite often and said my scores were quite good. They encouraged me to enter a competition, and that’s where it really started.”
However, the transition wasn’t as easy as he expected: “I’d say learning that just because you think you’re good at kicking a football around a football pitch doesn’t mean that you’ll instantly be good at Footgolf was the biggest challenge.”
Annear first realised his potential in the sport back in 2023 in his first national competition where he was one out of five participants to shoot under par on the Oakwood course at Ashbury golf resort.
Talan Annear from Cornwall is competing for England at the 2026 Footgolf World Cup
He has since become an integral member and taken up role of captain which he takes much pride in: “It’s meant a lot to me because it means that I’m in a relatively important role in helping to grow the sport.”
Annear completed his goal of the year which was to qualify for the world cup which was done through amateur rankings and finishing first place. The tournament in Acapulco will feature more than 60 countries and over 1,200 players, a scale that hasn’t been lost on him.
“When it was confirmed, I literally felt the wait fall off my shoulders as I’d put so much pressure on myself,” he said.
“It feels good to be a part of something so big and it’s something that most boys dream of growing up. Most people into sports growing up will be dreaming of competing for their country and I’ll be living that dream.”
England have been drawn in Group A alongside Argentina, China and Ireland. Talan admits that he may be new to the sport and recognises how competitive these countries are but still carries a positive mind-set with the aim to beat whoever is in front of him
Argentina are reigning champions but being given this lifetime opportunity is good enough motivation for the Cornishman who is relishing the chance to test myself against the best.
Talan Annear from Cornwall is competing for England at the 2026 Footgolf World Cup
Like many English foot golfers, he balances competition with full-time work at Tesco. While he is technically competing against professionals internationally, he explains that the sport is not yet professional in England, meaning most players juggle work commitments.
He added: “It’s really difficult for anyone when it’s self-funded, we’ve had several players pull out as the financial stress is just too much for them. I’m lucky that I’ve got family around me that are happy to help in any way they can.”
There is not only financial pressure to the competing but also having to travel from Cornwall to competitions across the country.
“Travelling from St Dennis is hard work, there’s a lot of early mornings and late nights throughout the season. I spend so much time in the car, and it is tough at times being so far away from everything,” he added.
Training is also very dependent on weather and due to England weather recently being very stormy and wet can result in Talan struggling to train due to closures of courses, but when the weather is good, he trains up to two times a week.
The world cup trip is self-funded, and Talan is grateful he has amazing support particularly from his wife Phoebe who has set up a go fund to try help raise some money.
Talan Annear from Cornwall is competing for England at the 2026 Footgolf World Cup
“She’s seen how much time and effort I’ve put in, and she just wants to help as much as she can,” he said. “Phoebe also helps pay towards some of the costs throughout the year. If she wasn’t there to support me and have my back, then I don’t think I’d even be playing.”
Talan is also actively seeking sponsors to help cover the significant expenses involved in competing on the world stage.
“I’m always on the lookout for sponsors to help with all my expenses, so if anyone is wanting to help please contact me through talanlewannear@gmail.com.”
For those inspired to try the sport themselves, he is also encouraging new players to get involved with his club they can get in contact through ashburyfgc@gmail.com or by messaging through the Ashbury Footgolf team on Facebook.
Looking ahead to Mexico, his ambitions are clear. “As a team, our goal is to win. We wouldn’t be going if we didn’t think we could. Personally, I just want to have fun, enjoy the experience and hopefully not embarrass myself.”
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