A 15th annual golfing celebration of a popular young Carnoustie man has taken the charity total raised since his tragic passing beyond £42,000.
Ross Cargill died in 2007, a year after the 25-year-old was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Since then, pals have staged the ROSSCO event at Arbroath Golf Club to raise funds for the Maggie’s Centre at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital.
Chartered accountant Ross was a keen golfer and played off a handicap of ten.
Close friends Blair Young and Colin Watson organised the first event and since then it has become an annual fixture on the summer calendar of dozens of friends and relatives of Ross.
Although the golfers are Carnoustie-based, the inaugural competition was held at Arbroath due to The Open being staged at the Angus championship course.
It has remained has remained there ever since and is fought out on the Friday of the Open Championship.
Maggie’s
The latest gathering was another fitting celebration, with support from friends and relatives taking the overall total donated to Maggie’s to more than £42,875.
Maggie’s was chosen to receive the golf day funds as a thank you for the support and comfort Ross received following his cancer diagnosis.
A memorial bench was also placed at Carnoustie Golf Club several years ago.
“As usual, the day was a huge success,” said Lorraine Young, who helps administer the event.
“The weather was stunning, the attendance was once again excellent and the first-class meal after everyone had tried manfully to defeat this much-admired links course perfectly rounded off a fittingly memorable day of sport, friendship and ‘blethers’ in the clubhouse. Ross would have loved it.
“The amount of effort and energy applied to the staging of this brilliant event by an amazing, hard-working group of relatives and friends is staggering.”
This year, ex-Hearts and Scotland footballer Donald Ford squeezed out a decent round and won the individual trophy on his third appearance in the competition.
His performance also added to a foursome total that lifted the team trophy.
“In all respects, the competition, the weather and the camaraderie all contributed to a perfect tribute to a lovely young man,” added Lorraine.