A CREWKERNE man has completed a 16-hour golf challenge to raise money for charity after being inspired by his daughter’s battle with leukaemia.

Scott Walker was part of a team of three who set off at 5.30am at Taunton and Pickeridge golf club, with the men playing through sweltering 30C heat and finally finishing off their sporting marathon at 10pm.

The trio decided to raise money for Macmillan after they provided support when Scott’s daughter, seven-year-old Eliza, battled leukaemia.

Mr Walker said: “It is a yearly event organised by Macmillan called the longest day golf challenge.

“More than 3,000 teams enter across the UK and play 72 holes in one day.

“We were the only team doing it at Taunton and Pickeridge golf club. Our team was myself, Lewis Woodcock and Oliver Dawson. We started at 5.30am and finished at 10pm.”

“The event is the equivalent of four rounds of golf. We started at 5.30am and with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius most of the day, it was very hard work. But it was all worth it to raise more than £1,000 for a charity that is close to my heart and we are grateful to WPD for match funding us.

“Eliza was diagnosed with Leukaemia on Tuesday, October 29, 2013, and her chemotherapy treatment finished on March 16, 2016.

“During this time, she spent over 100 days and nights in hospital, several operations and a massive of amount of medication. She also lost her hair twice during the treatment.

“She is now been cancer free for 17 months and doing brilliantly, she still has regular hospital check-ups to keep an eye on her.

“Charities like Macmillan are very close to my heart and the support they provide to families in a very difficult time is fantastic.”

Scott, who works for Western Power Distribution as a planner, saw his amount raised match-funded by his employers to take his total to more than £1,000.

Final scores and amounts raised must be sent to Macmillan by September 4, before the top four fundraising teams will be asked to join the cancer support charity at the Boavista Golf Resort, in Western Algarve, Portugal for the final.

For more information on work of Macmillan and their longest day golf challenge, visit www.macmillan.org.uk/get-involved/fundraising-events/longest-day-golf.