Edinburgh: American golfer Matt Kuchar defeated compatriot Charley Hoffman to win the first ‘Hero Challenge’ of 2018.
Played against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Castle, the fun and fast night Golf Contest – Hero Challenge, saw more than 4,000 spectators turn-up to cheer the players.
The six competing stars – Kuchar, Hoffman, Ian Poulter, Shubhankar Sharma, Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Richie Ramsay – thrilled the crowd at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’s extraordinary amphitheater in front of Edinburgh Castle.
Kuchar beat Hoffman in the all-American final as the players teed off from the specially erected platform with the target 80 metres away on the Castle Esplanade.
“I’m looking forward to taking this Hero Challenge trophy home – my kids will love it,” Kuchar said.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma, grouped alongside Poulter and Cabrera-Bello, was eliminated at the group stage after failing to stop the ball inside the marked circles in any of his five attempts. From the other group, Hoffman and Kuchar came through as local man Ramsay exited.
In the final, Kuchar landed the first ball in the outer circle and the second in the ‘Bull’s Eye’ before giving up his third shot to the host, Vernon Kay for fun, while he took the microphone.
The Hero Challenge debuted at the British Masters in 2016. (ANI)