FlingGolf UK To Host World League FlingGolf Stars from USA for Inaugural "Britain's Cup"

Bournemouth, England - March 24, 2024

With British play growing significantly and reaching competitive levels, FlingGolf's UK chapter aims to pit its best against an American team in a“Ryder Cup” style event this summer.

When Paul Barran of Bournemouth, England decided to compete in his first World League FlingGolf Tournament last fall in the USA, his mind was filled with possibilities for both himself within the sport, but also for the opportunity to lead the charge in growing the sport across the Atlantic. 

Paul Barran playing FlingGolf at ChristChurch GC, UK

As a golf course owner with New Swarm's FlingSticks available to its members and the public, Barran had already seen FlingGolf draw in more families and create more accessibility and fun on the course.  But at the 2023 New England Open he saw firsthand how top athletes take to the sport and watched it bring out their competitive fire. 

Seeing the sport reach every level of play on his Christchurch Golf Club so quickly, combined with picking up an impressive 6th place in the WLF New England Open, cemented a concept for Barran: an international FlingGolf tournament involving community, learning opportunities and top athletes battling it out on the course.

"Flying into Boston last October for the tournament was a highlight for me.  After practicing intensely with my mates in Bournemouth, I felt ready to take on some serious competition.  Finishing 6th was a proud moment, but what really stuck with me was the incredible atmosphere.  We had a mix of competitive spirit and camaraderie, drawing players from every corner of the US and from all kinds of backgrounds.  That experience didn't just deepen my love for FlingGolf; it sparked an idea."

"Back home, I floated the concept of a "Britain's Cup" - a friendly yet competitive face-off between British and American FlingGolf teams, inspired by the Ryder Cup.  The guys at New Swarm and World League FlingGolf were as excited by the idea as I was and we've been putting our heads together to make it happen."

The Britain's Cup will be the first World League FlingGolf-recognized international tournament.  It will be played on June 8th and 9th at Christchurch Golf Club in Bournemouth, England.  It will be hosted by the FlingGolf UK chapter which has challenged a team of eight American players consisting of 6 men and 2 women.  Seven of the top WLF Players have been invited to join Team USA based on WLF Rankings, while at least one spot on the team will be decided based on the results of the Treasure Coast Open next month in Florida. 

The 2-day tournament will be the culmination of five days of FlingGolf events consisting of beginner and advanced clinics within the local community, media engagement, and international camaraderie leading up to the competition on Saturday and Sunday, with Team USA pitted against Team UK in both team and individual formats.

John Pruellage, World League FlingGolf's Commissioner, remarked, "This is an extremely important milestone in competitive FlingGolf play, and I know I can speak for the WLF players who are joining Team USA that they are very excited to be involved in this inaugural tournament, helping to grow awareness of the sport outside of the United States.  Paul's concept of a multi-day series of family friendly events, combined with a competitive tournament of top athletes, bodes well for the future of both FlingGolf in the UK in general, but also for future Britain's Cup challenges. WLF is looking forward to doing our part to make this first one a great success."

New Swarm, creator of the FlingStick, will be the equipment sponsor for the Britain's Cup. 

"New Swarm couldn't be more fired up about sponsoring both Team USA and Team UK for the tournament", said New Swarm's Founder, Alex Van Alen. "Paul's enthusiasm and leadership in developing our FlingGolf UK chapter and bringing the sport across the pond has already led to amazing growth in the UK.  This tournament and the community that is forming around play over there demonstrates the enormous progress that they have made. It will be a treat for all of us at New Swarm to watch the community engagement and player clinics, as well as the competitive play of the Britain's Cup unfold in June."

Paul Barran continued: "Creating the Britain's Cup is more than just organizing another event; it's about building something that brings people together, sharing our love for the game, and maybe sparking a bit of friendly rivalry across the pond. It's fantastic to see everyone getting behind this, and I'm all in on making it a staple event that showcases the best of what FlingGolf has to offer, bridging communities and celebrating our shared passion. Here's to making it a reality and seeing where this adventure takes us."

Further details including the participating WLF Players for both Team USA and Team UK as well as the tournament format will be released in the coming days and weeks.