Marlborough’s Matthew Burgess, battling cancer, aces the Longest Day

Quick golf primer: A round comprises 18 holes, typically taking a player about four hours to complete. Picton Golf Club has a nine-hole course measuring around 2,600 yards, or 2,400 metres, with a playing time near two hours.

So, in an average outing, a golfer will cover nearly five kilometres before heading to the clubhouse.

Matthew Burgess is not average. On 31 January, he went around the Picton course eight times in 8½ hours.  That, in itself, is a feat. That Matthew has battled cancer for a decade makes it extraordinary.

Across New Zealand, people like Matthew took on the Longest Day challenge organised by the Cancer Society. They attempted to play 72 holes, or at least 36, in a single session to raise money for the nonprofit.

Matthew completed all 72. As of this week, he has brought in $4,270 – ranking sixth-best among 400 participants. These funds will stay locally to benefit his fellow patients and survivors.

Pippa Hatton, general manager of Cancer Society Marlborough, raves about his accomplishments.

“The way Matthew has gone about it is perfect for the region,” she said. “It’s a national campaign, but when it gets picked up regionally, it has so much more pull, because people are attached to the person.

“It’s a real personal thing for him,” Pippa continued, “for all the people in his family who have been affected by cancer, including himself. His own journey, doing the Longest Day of golf, really resonates with the community, which is why he has raised so much money.”

How it happened

Matthew got diagnosed with leukaemia at age 29. He and his wife, Kirsty, were parents of two young children, a three-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son. Taylor turns 16 this week; Lockie is 12.

Kirsty planned to stay home with the kids, but Matthew’s prognosis prompted her to return to work. She is deputy principal at Waikawa Bay School. Her husband, now 40, accepts trades jobs as his condition permits.

“He can’t work as much as he used to,” Kirsty said. “He still battles every day with moreso the side effects of his treatment.”

Taylor and Lockie understand their father’s situation, their mom said: “It has taught them empathy – they are wise beyond their years.”

Lockie spent the entire Longest Day as Matthew’s caddie. Taylor came to the course when she was not at work. Kirsty was there for the duration.

He teed off at 8am, but the Burgesses were unsure how long he would last. The previous weekend, Matthew had to pull out of a competition after 18 holes. Kirsty recalled, “We were a bit worried; was he going to make it?”

On the Longest Day, though, he was determined to make it all the way.

“The reason he was doing it, that was enough to push him through,” Kirsty explained. “He got quite emotional when it was all finished, just knowing he had achieved that but also seeing everyone who was there to cheer him on.”

Visit longestday.org.nz to follow Matthew’s fundraising and donate.