Team Maccabi GB’s Masters Golf squad brought home seven medals from the 14th European Maccabi Games in Berlin.
The four-man team, made up of Moor Park’s Jeremy Lichtenfeld, Hartsbourne’s Russell Nathan and South Herts duo Steven Hope and Simon Freer producing impressive performances at the Berliner golf Club in Stolper Heide which is approximately 40 minutes west of Berlin.
The team originally included Martin Lerner who withdrew earlier in the year following his daughter’s engagement. There were also doubts over Simon Freer’s participation following a personal bereavement, but the group, who have been friends for many years through meetings as Junior members at various Jewish golf clubs over 30 years ago.
Russell Nathan, who plays off 7, told JC Sport: “The decision to go to Berlin was easy as we are all from strong Jewish backgrounds and wanted to be part of Jewish history being made.
The group are all members of the WAGOS Jewish Golf society – founded by Louis Leveson and Hylton Gilbey in 1986 and today boasts the largest membership of a Jewish Golf Society in the UK totalling over 70 Jewish members from 12 different London Golf clubs and one from Hong Kong.
Playing at a course designed by the famous German golfer, Bernhard Langer, the members of the Club selflessly gave up their rights to play to allow the Maccabiah tournament to take place. The conditions on the first two days were very difficult with 30 mph cold winds blowing from the Baltic Sea bringing with it rain.
The course was set up with hard fast greens making scoring very difficult. At the end of the first two days GB masters found themselves surprisingly in the lead from Germany.
A two-day weekend break followed and the final round resumed on the Monday in temperatures in excess of 90 degrees fahrenheit which brought a new set of problems. The GB Masters team however held their nerve and finished in the gold medal position.
Nathan added: “It was an emotional journey for all of us especially Simon finished with seven medals in total out of a possible eight.
Team Maccabi GB Masters Golf - Individual honours
Masters individual Scratch: Gold - Jeremy Lichtenfeld, Silver - Russell Nathan
Masters individual handicap: Silver - Simon Freer