World News for Students of English

24-11-2014 15:00

A cross between football and golf proves a hit in Spain.

This is footgolf.

The game is played with a standard-sized football and kicked towards an oversized hole and a flag-pin.

On Sunday, Bjorn Bulk from Amsterdam won the first ever Europa Cup footgolf tournament. He took the lead, having kicked an eagle at the fourth hole on the final day of the event in Andalusia.

Bulk, who recently won the footgolf unofficial World Championships and a string of other major footgolf events, is hoping to turn professional.

“I hope it is the same as darts sport. Darts, 15 years ago, was for fun and now they are travelling all over the world, playing for money. I hope footgolf is going the same way.”

Footgolf burst onto courses in 2009 and its since boomed as a secondary attraction in clubs around the globe. It’s even been given the PGA seal of approval.

Italy won the team event beating Ireland, Hungary, Holland, Spain and Portugal.

With more than 70 golf courses on the Costa del Sol in Spain, footgolfers are now being welcomed with open arms to simply help cover the weekly costs of a club house.

And it may not be too long before we see a Masters event, but should they give a green jacket, Claret Jug or a golden boot to the winner?

Difficult words: eagle (a bird in real life, but in golf it means a score of 2 under than is needed), darts (an indoor game in which you throw small pointed missiles and try to hit the target), boom (grow quickly), PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association), Claret Jug (a golf champion trophy).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com