A delighted golf fan recorded his most memorable drive to get his hands on one of the golfing world’s most prestigious trophies.
Despite the fact Paul Wilkie can barely strike a ball on the course he clocked up a 400 mile drive to deliver the Solheim Cup in front of a delighted audience.
But newly crowned Masters champ Bubba Watson and the rest of the world’s golfing greats have nothing to fear – because keen golf fan Paul’s drive was actually in his Eagle Couriers delivery van.
It saw him carefully ferry the most sought after trophy in women’s golf from Buckinghamshire to Edinburgh, where he handed it over to tourism chiefs who were eagerly awaiting it for a tour of Scotland.
All In A Day’s Work
Paul, from Edinburgh, who has worked with Eagle Couriers for three years, joked: “A golfer would have to be superhuman to drive 400 miles, but it’s all in day’s work for me.
“Still, as a golf fan this was one working day that was a bit out of the ordinary. As soon as I picked up the order form I was chuffed to bits knowing that what I would be delivering something a bit special.
“After following last year’s Solheim Cup on TV and seeing it in the hands of the world’s finest women golfers, it was a real privilege to be in charge of such a precious package myself.
“Much though I love watching the game on the TV, I don’t play at all. So it’s probably the only time I’ll ever have my hands on golfing silverware of any sort.”
With Scotland set to enjoy one of its biggest sporting years by hosting the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup, Eagle Couriers was tasked to bring the Solheim Cup to the Scottish capital for a series of public exhibitions.
The trophy is the women’s golf equivalent of the Ryder Cup and is hotly contested every two years by the cream of talent from the United States versus a European team.
It was won by the European ladies in 2013 when played in Denver, Colorado. They will be keen to defend it when it is next up for grabs in Germany next year.
Precious Cargo
The cup itself is a stunning 19 inch, crystal trophy, complete with a mahogany wood base.
Paul drove from Edinburgh to the headquarters of the Ladies European Tour in Buckinghamshire to collect his precious cargo, then back again, a round trip of 800 miles.
His ultimate destination was the offices of national tourist body Visit Scotland, where staff collected the trophy so that it could be displayed at various golfing events around Scotland.
Paul added: “Picking up unusual packages is definitely the part of my job I enjoy the most. I’ve worked for Eagle Couriers now for three years and can safely say no two days are ever the same.
“Throughout my time at the company I’ve delivered all kinds of weird and wonderful packages from life size haggis costumes to real life frogs so I almost always have an interesting story to tell when I get home.”
Eagle Couriers is Scotland’s biggest independent courier company has 20 members of operational staff across Scotland and a 100-strong team of couriers. It has its HQ in Bathgate, West Lothian and additional offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The company provides safe and quick logistics services to organisations across the private, public and third sectors as well as working directly with consumers and boasts a 3500 strong client base including the BBC, the Government Procurement Service and the NHS.
Further information on Eagle Couriers can be found at www.eaglecouriers.co.uk or on 0845 123 1230.
