James Hardy completes remarkable four-tournament winning streak with British Speedgolf title, ahead of 5 other PGA Members who made the cut.
British Speedgolf Champion and PGA Member James Hardy has completed a remarkable summer of international success by successfully defending his title at the 12th British Speedgolf Championships at Sunningdale Heath Golf Club in Ascot.
He produced an astonishing performance on the compact par-58 course, recording two rounds of under 26 minutes while also posting the lowest stroke score of the championship with 61 in his second round.
Hardy's combined performance saw him overcome a strong field that included five British Speedgolf Championships. Will Robson, also a PGA Member, was top of the leaderboard after round one with Hardy chasing.
Round two was played in reverse time performance order, with players setting off at the same 4-minute intervals, which meant the faster players from round one were hunting down those ahead.
PGA Coach Rob Hogan, best known as Marooch for Swing coaching, posted the fastest round time of 24 minutes 32 seconds. He is also a former Speedgolf World Champion and three-time British Speedgolf winner.
Now in its 12th edition, the British Speedgolf Championships brought together competitors from across the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium and Germany, with PGA Professionals competing alongside amateurs, women, seniors and juniors. Other notable PGA performances included former champion Luke Willett and his World Speedgolf Champion Pairs format partner Luke Bone, who coaches Lottie Woad. Also Tom North a Pro with a passion for running and triathlon, made his maiden Speedgolf appearance, finishing in a very impressive 8th place with his combined two-round score.
Speedgolf combines golf and running, with players typically carrying 4 to 5 clubs. The final score combines the number of strokes taken with the time taken to complete the course, meaning players must find the perfect balance between speed, accuracy and decision-making under pressure. Players do have to rake bunkers during their round, but divot and pitch mark repairs are completed at the end of championship play to ensure the course is properly maintained. With the long dry period over the summer, fairways were firm, but the greens were predictably tough, although not as fast as last year.
Hardy, who only discovered Speedgolf in 2025, has enjoyed a meteoric rise. His British Championship victory is his fourth consecutive major Speedgolf title, following wins at the French, U.S. and Benelux Speedgolf Championships over the summer and he is now ranked one of the best players in the World.
His success is particularly remarkable given the physical demands of competing at this level. Hardy is conscious of the need to manage injury risk, recovery and event schedules, but his philosophy is straightforward: make the most of the opportunities when they arise, and enjoy them.
His next Speedgolf challenge will take a very different form. Hardy has planned a Speedgolf demonstration challenge at his home club, Aldwickbury Park, to give back to his club community who have supported his local speedgolf training on the course and to fundraise for charity.
